CEO MONTHLY / JANUARY 2025 19 Transformative AI, Human Stories Miguel Espada is the CEO of two successful businesses in Madrid, Espadaysantacruz Studio and Consultora BeyondAI, as well as being one of the four visionary co-founders behind SpecialGuestX (SGX). All of these businesses are innovative creative design studios and are renowned for their work with such ground-breaking tools as AI. Revolutionising this technology through creative processes is Miguel’s primary aim across these operations, and, having been recognised as the Creative Studio CEO of the Year 2024 – Madrid, we take a deep dive into Miguel’s career below. Blending cutting-edge AI with human-centred narratives is the speciality of Miguel Espada, a man whose roles across his companies revolve around shaping visions and nurturing innovation within talented teams. Exploring this further, Miguel explains: “My philosophy centres on finding a balance between advancing technology and preserving the emotional, human aspects of storytelling.” His interactive AI solutions hold the key to this, with these allowing Miguel to remain at the forefront of a dynamic and developing industry. “My journey to this point has been a blend of academic and creative exploration,” says Miguel. “I hold a PhD in mathematics and teach big data and machine learning at the Complutense University in Madrid, giving me a solid foundation to approach AI creatively and practically.” Even with one foot firmly planted in the education sector, Miguel has been able to partake in a range of exciting projects across his career, and this is something that has only increased since he co-founded SGX back in late 2022. From developing the comprehensive ABLExR police training platform in collaboration with Meta and Georgetown University to creating pioneering, AI-driven products such as the CMR-M1: The First AI-Powered Movie Camera and the Bedtime AI Storymaker, Miguel describes these experiences as not only shaping the capabilities of SGX, but also reinforcing his belief in the power of AI-driven storytelling tools. Having demonstrated both technical expertise and a passion for storytelling at every turn, it is no surprise that this has rubbed off on the companies that Miguel is today an integral part of, especially SGX. This brand is distinguished in the AI-driven design space as a result of its creative vision and technical precision, a solid combination that has seen the development of several transformative projects developed with 1stAveMachine, its production partner and yet another company that Miguel oversees, this time as director. Miguel possesses a forwardthinking approach to leadership himself, something reflected in his building of a culture where innovation and creativity are given space to grow. Much of this can be attributed to the collaboration that is inherent across every one of his brands, and Miguel tells us that he is consistently blown away by the talent and ingenuity of the people he surrounds himself with, from his teams through to his fellow SGX leaders. Such resourcefulness continues to serve these businesses well, especially since Miguel and his teams have had to deal with the rapid development of AI in recent years, as well as managing the ethical considerations that have stemmed as a result. Calling these current challenges some of the biggest his brands have ever had to face, staff at Miguel’s businesses stay informed by implementing robust ethical frameworks and investing in research and development across the ever-evolving field of interactive AI solutions. Beyond this, the encompassing nature of AI has led people to think that anything is possible with the technology, and one challenge that Miguel is facing at present is trying to find a middle ground between creative visions and technical feasibility. A number of crossdisciplinary partnerships have helped his companies to achieve this and deliver solutions that compete with both artistic merit and practical value. Thus, forging more collaborations is one of the primary ways Miguel is seeking to innovate in the future. Alongside these alliances, another key focus area for Miguel is exploring the intersection between AI and filmmaking, an undertaking that he hopes will result in innovative filmmaking technology being made readily available to the clients of both Espadaysantacruz Studio and SpecialGuestX. Miguel Espada’s track record of successful implementations points towards this being the case sooner rather than later, and we wish him and all of the brands he represents the best of luck for the rest of 2025 and beyond. “My goal is to continue advancing the integration of technology and creativity in ways that captivate and inspire audiences.” Contact: Miguel Espada Company: SpecialGuestX & Espadaysantacruz Studio Web Address: www.specialguestx.com/vision & www.espadaysantacruz.com Dec24047
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