Edward Enninful’s EE72 puts human curation at the center of AI-era media

Edward Enninful is positioning EE72, the media and entertainment company he co-founded with his sister Akua, as a human-led answer to the flood of synthetic content. In an interview with Fortune at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Enninful said the company’s work is curated by people even as artificial intelligence becomes harder to avoid in media and fashion.

Enninful, EE72’s co-founder and chief creative officer, told Fortune that the company is built around what he called “slow digital.” He said EE72 may publish one item on its platform in a day, or several, but does not aim to match the pace and volume of social feeds.

The approach reflects a broader argument in Fortune’s report: as AI tools make it easier to produce and test content at speed, human judgment becomes more valuable. Fortune cited former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair’s view that the AI shift is comparable in importance to the industrial revolution, while noting that many companies still frame the issue as keeping humans “in the loop.”

Enninful’s career has been built on editorial control and taste, Fortune reported. He became the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue, where he pushed for more diversity in the magazine and oversaw a February 2022 cover featuring nine models of African heritage. Fortune also reported that he became fashion editor of i-D magazine at 18, making him the youngest fashion editor of an international publication.

EE72 publishes a print magazine called 72, but Enninful told Fortune he does not see the business as a traditional magazine company. He said the publication does not carry advertising and that EE72 has looked instead to events, collaborations and client work as part of its model.

The magazine’s subjects, according to Fortune, range across fashion, photography, art, culture and long-form narrative work. Fortune reported that the summer issue, featuring Rihanna on the cover and photographed by Szilveszter Makó, sold out online. Enninful told Fortune the response showed there is still demand for work that feels fresh and honest.

AI is still part of EE72’s world. Fortune reported that the company has worked with brands including Moncler and Google. At New York Fashion Week, EE72 used Google’s AI-powered try-on technology so guests could see themselves in runway looks before buying, according to Fortune.

Enninful framed that use as an extension of access rather than a replacement for fashion’s human side. He told Fortune that making fashion more democratic has long mattered to him, including for people who may feel uneasy trying on clothes in stores.

Fortune also reported that a Kate Moss cover shoot for an earlier issue of 72 was animated by British photographer Nick Knight using AI and shown at Piccadilly Circus in London. Enninful said AI can help edit, expand or create work, but that he must make the final call on the finished product.

His view, as described to Fortune, is that technology belongs in the creative process without displacing the person responsible for taste and judgment. Enninful said there still needs to be a curator with the final word.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.