Meet the creative industry’s first automated talent agent. - Meet Genie
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  • Meet the creative industry’s first automated talent agent.

    eHYC meets Nicky Badenoch, co-founder Genie, the creative industry’s first automated talent agent.

    Some creatives may be wary about AI moving into the industry. Can you pitch to them in a sentence why this is something for them to be excited about?

    So much of creativity relies on chance meetings, the magical stories that all ladder up to work that ultimately delivers fame. Who you work with really matters. It’s the difference between good work and great work. AI is the shortcut to accessing the very best talent, the very best briefs, that can help you make the work of your life.

    Do you feel this will replace or complement the traditional recruitment model?

    We are in this space because we love the talent behind the work; we built GENIE because we felt it was time for technology to treat talented people with soul. GENIE is the codification of that, she combines the intangibles of a talent spotter into AI form, anyone looking to recruit best in class talent will need GENIE by their side.

    How has COVID-19 impacted the growth of the platform?

    Initially, I won’t lie, it was tough as companies put their arms around their permanent talent, and the government support for freelancers was left lacking. But there has been a silver lining to COVID, in that the shift in mindset by corporates has been seismic. Companies are shifting from models that were focused on talent ownership to what is now increasingly focused on talent access, across a borderless network. As a result, a platform like GENIE is fast becoming their competitive advantage.

    Do you feel this will help bring a new wealth of diversity to the industry?

    Absolutely, because corporates will be able to bring fresh eyes to creative problems, and with that comes a diversity of thought. The industry needs more diversity at its core, and our algorithm can take some of the human bias out of the hiring process by anonymising personal data – letting judgements happen based on the work alone rather than anything else. We also live-track the diversity make-up of our talent pool so we can ensure companies have access to a diverse network of talent.

    How do you maintain that ‘human touch’ that can really help clients and creatives build a relationship?

    GENIE is, by design, what we call human-tech, in that she is a machine that behaves like a human. GENIE is constantly talking, building 1-2-1 relationships with her talent and her clients, all at the same time. She learns what they like and dislike and acts differently based on that. She is like the terminator, though way more chatty, albeit sometimes a little grumpy in the mornings! There is a brilliant line in Kate Tempest’s poem ‘These things I know’, which sums up what I term making a human difference – “Never underestimate how nice it is to make someone a cup of tea without them having to ask”. I’d like to think that GENIE has some of this soul dust.

    What success stories have you seen for Creatives using the platform?

    So many examples, but here is just one. At 19:37 last night, one of our clients briefed GENIE for a copywriter to help revamp their social digital presence – starting tomorrow. GENIE automagically approached 30 people, 5 people said yes to the brief, all of whom were incredible. I don’t know how the client was able to choose between them, but the hiring client hit the hire button on an exceptional copywriter whose work has been featured everywhere from UK Parliament to Britain’s Got Talent, to BBC to Fox News. I’m curious to hear what work they make together, but success is not just giving both the client and copywriter the opportunity to find each other, but also ensuring that those 4 people who did not get chosen this time round are armed with feedback to help them for the next time. GENIE allows this to happen.

    In three words - why should someone sign up today?

    Make great work.

    Thank you for your time and if our audience has any more questions who should they tweet at for more information?

    @meetgenie and https://www.meetgenie.co/

    This article was originally published in Hello You Creative on the 25th May 2021.