BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA – At this year’s MAD Stars Festival, amid the usual buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) and its promise to reshape creativity, one talk dared to turn the conversation upside down. Niño Gupana, Global Creative Specialist at Our LEGO Agency of The LEGO Group in Denmark, took the stage with a provocative message: the future of creativity may lie not in intelligence but in what he calls “natural stupidity.”
AI vs. human chaos
“AI is too smart, too smart,” Niño declared. “And maybe that’s where the problem is. What happens when everything becomes optimized, flawless, efficient? What happens when we lose that beautiful chaos that makes us human?”
If AI represents perfection, its opposite is not ignorance but what Niño framed as natural stupidity.
“The opposite of artificial is natural, and the acronym of intelligence is stupid. Natural stupidity — yes — but not as an insult, as a superpower. That’s what makes us. That’s what makes humanity.”
Cannes and faking it
To illustrate, he recounted his early years as a Filipino young creative at Cannes Lions. Locked out of exclusive events, he and his team printed fake press credentials to sneak in. Foolish? Absolutely. But that risk opened doors to moments that shaped their careers.
“That’s the beauty of human stupidity,” Niño said. “AI will never fake a press badge to chase inspiration. Humans do stupid things because we’re curious, brave, or desperate. And that’s how we grow.”
Mistakes that changed the world
For Niño, stupidity isn’t about incompetence but about accidents that lead to breakthroughs. He cited history’s famous “mistakes”:
- Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin from a contaminated petri dish.
- Spencer Silver’s failed adhesive experiment at 3M, which became the Post-it Note.
“These were mistakes,” he said, “but not failures. They were sparks of innovation. That’s what AI doesn’t understand – it seeks to eliminate error. Humans thrive because of it.”
Humor: the social glue
If mistakes are one superpower, humor is another. Niño stressed that laughter isn’t frivolous – it’s fundamental to creativity and culture.
“Humor serves a purpose,” he explained. “It’s social glue. It connects us. It expresses truths that are easier to share with a smile.”
He pointed to pop culture like BTS’s satirical track “Spine Breaker,” as well as his own campaigns, such as one in Manila where misogynistic slogans on public transport were replaced with witty messages of respect. Humor, he argued, makes people remember — and makes people care.
“That’s something AI can’t quite replicate,” he added. “Humor lives in context, timing, culture. It’s gloriously human.”
The bravery of being silly
Perhaps the most liberating part of his talk was his invitation to embrace silliness.
“Humans, you want to be bravely silly,” he told the audience. “AI will always aim to be perfect. But we should embrace the fact that we are courageously imperfect. We are gloriously stupid.”
Smart ideas can be defended logically, but silly ideas demand courage. They make us vulnerable — but often unlock breakthroughs.
“The world does not change because of the smartest person,” Niño insisted. “The world changes because there’s someone stupid enough to try first.”
Chief Stupidity Officers
As he wrapped up, Niño gave the audience an unusual promotion:
“So as your Chief Stupidity Officer,” he said, “I am now promoting everyone here as Chief Stupidity Officers. You’re all promoted. Congratulations!”
It was tongue-in-cheek, but the point landed. To thrive in an AI-driven world, creatives must embrace — not erase — their imperfections.
“Let’s double down on our stupidity,” he urged. “Our clumsy, one-of-a-kind, brilliant stupidity.”
Why it resonates
In 2025, as agencies and brands scramble to harness AI, Niño’s talk offered a timely reminder: AI is a tool, not a replacement. The real danger isn’t machines outsmarting us – it’s us forgetting the messy human qualities that make creativity powerful.
His reframing was not anti-AI but pro-human. Mistakes, humor, silliness — these are not inefficiencies to be ironed out. They are the very engines of culture and change.
Three takeaways for creatives
From Niño’s talk, three lessons stand out:
- Mistakes fuel breakthroughs. What looks like failure may be the first step toward invention.
- Humor matters. It connects people and transforms culture in ways machines cannot.
- Silliness is bravery. Risking the ridiculous often leads to the remarkable.
Final reflection
As we left the session hall at MAD Stars, I thought of how rare it is in our efficiency-obsessed world to hear someone celebrate imperfection so wholeheartedly. Niño’s reminder that the world changes not because of the smartest person, but because of someone “stupid” enough to try, felt both freeing and urgent.
Perhaps that’s the creative’s true task in an age of AI: not to outsmart the machine, but to lean deeper into what makes us human. To laugh, to stumble, to be bravely silly. To embrace, in his words, our “gloriously stupid” selves.
If so, then the future of creativity is in very good, courageously imperfect hands.
About Niño Gupana
As a eureka-seeker and story-doer, Niño Gupana, Global Creative Specialist at The LEGO Group, has been inspiring and charging up creatives across Europe and Asia for 18 years. His work has been recognized at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, ADC, New York Festivals, LIA, Spikes Asia, AdFest, and MAD STARS. Niño has also served as a member of the jury in most of these global shows. Beyond the awards, he mentors young talent as a Creative Coach, speaks at international conferences, and lectures at top universities in Europe and Asia. He enjoys crafting stories, cracking problems across every platform and aspect ratio. He always hungers for changing the world and for anything spicy.
