As the CEO and co-founder of Higgsfield, Alex Mashrabov sits at the forefront of one of the most transformative shifts in the creative industry. In a world where AI tools are becoming remarkably sophisticated, he remains clear-eyed about what technology can , and cannot, replace.
“Creativity and taste are the things we believe are going to remain constant,” Mashrabov says.
His conviction was powerfully demonstrated earlier this year when Higgsfield partnered with award-winning film directors to produce Hell Grind, a 95-minute feature film created end-to-end with AI. The team generated roughly 100 hours of AI content to craft the final cut. While AI made rapid experimentation and endless variations possible, Mashrabov notes that the project ultimately reinforced the irreplaceable role of human judgment.
“AI enabled creative exploration and made it possible to generate numerous variations of the same shot,” he explains. “But that also made the role of the creative director more important than ever. Someone still has to decide what makes a good story and what doesn’t.”
The same principle applies to marketing. AI can generate thousands of concepts in minutes, yet brands still need sharp strategic thinking and a clear sense of identity to select what truly resonates.
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From Novelty to Commercial Powerhouse
Mashrabov has witnessed multiple waves of AI development over the past decade. What surprises him most today is the dramatic shift in perception around video AI.
“For a long time, from around 2014 to 2024, video AI was looked at as a toy,something for entertainment rather than commercial use,” he recalls. That has changed profoundly. Today, over 80% of activity on Higgsfield is driven by commercial creative projects, particularly social media advertising.
The pace of innovation continues to astonish even him. “New models are coming out almost every week,” Mashrabov says. “Capabilities that were impossible to imagine a year ago are already becoming available.”
The New Content Imperative
Brands, especially those battling for attention on short-form platforms, face unprecedented pressure. Having previously led Generative AI efforts at Snapchat, Mashrabov understands this challenge intimately.
“Brands feel pressure to make compelling content daily,” he notes. “On average, the lifespan of social media content is less than a day, and users often watch a video for only a few seconds.” Success now demands quality, quantity, and relevance, all at speed
Traditional production cycles, which can take weeks of planning and shooting, simply cannot keep up. AI, Mashrabov believes, offers a powerful solution by dramatically compressing timelines while maintaining creative ambition.
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