Magnific CEO Joaquin Cuenca believes artificial intelligence is ushering in a new era of creativity, one in which AI serves as a collaborator rather than a replacement for human creators.

Speaking at the Upscale Conference in San Francisco, Cuenca described how Magnific has evolved from its origins as Freepik, a search engine for free images, into a comprehensive AI-powered creative platform designed to help users generate films, advertisements, marketing campaigns, and other visual content. The company’s recent rebrand reflects that transformation, signaling a shift away from content discovery and toward content creation.

Cuenca also outlined Magnific’s approach to AI agents, arguing that many agent systems remove too much control from users by attempting to generate finished outputs autonomously. Instead, Magnific has developed AI-powered workflows that break creative projects into a series of manageable steps, allowing users to guide and refine the process at every stage. The company is also embracing Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to directly access Magnific’s creative tools.

Looking ahead, Cuenca predicts that AI will dramatically expand the creative economy – the so-called “no collar economy” – by lowering barriers to filmmaking, design, and storytelling, allowing more individuals and brands to become content creators while increasing demand for creative professionals who can shape compelling narratives and experiences.