<aside> <img src="notion://custom_emoji/3b7b79b0-95af-4500-931c-e5c63e5df242/134c6f79-9a33-80e0-9f29-007af22abccf" alt="notion://custom_emoji/3b7b79b0-95af-4500-931c-e5c63e5df242/134c6f79-9a33-80e0-9f29-007af22abccf" width="40px" /> Social content extracted from the "Both Hands Full" keynote at LaSalle College Vancouver (January 14, 2026)
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I gave a talk to art and design students this week, and I led with this:
"AI is trained on stolen work without consent… AND I'm more creative, powerful, and productive than I've ever been because of these tools."
Both things are true.
We're past the point where you can just pick a side. The boosters who tell you "get on board or get left behind"? Lazy. The doomers who say "refuse and resist"? Also lazy.
The real position is harder: hold both hands full.
Left hand: the fears are real. Consent was violated. Junior pipelines are collapsing. We're outsourcing cognition without knowing the cost.
Right hand: the transformation is real. I've watched designers compress weeks into hours. VFX veterans build tools they couldn't have dreamed of. My own work has never been more ambitious.
The people I need most? The skeptics. The critics. The ones with genuine concerns.
Because if you opt out entirely, the decisions about this technology get made without you. Governance is set by whoever shows up.
So here's my ask: engage even if you're skeptical. Learn enough to know what you're criticizing. Walk forward with both hands full.
What are you holding in each hand right now?