Technology News

Inside the Mind of the Man Who Trusts Dogs to Lead Movies

From AI labs to film sets, BARK innovation chief Mikkel Holm has a radical idea — what if dogs weren’t just stars, but storytellers?

Published

2 weeks ago

on

January 22, 2026

By

Cobb

Meet the Man Who Thinks Dogs Should Be Film Directors | Daily Global Diary

In an era where artificial intelligence is already writing scripts, composing music, and generating entire films, one creative mind is asking a question that feels equal parts absurd and oddly profound: Why shouldn’t dogs be directors?

That mind belongs to Mikkel Holm, the Chief AI & Innovation Officer at BARK, the pet brand best known for turning dog culture into a billion-dollar business. Holm isn’t pitching a gimmick. He’s questioning how creativity itself is defined — and who gets to own it.

From Fetch to Final Cut

Holm’s thinking sits at the crossroads of AI, storytelling, and animal behavior. With generative tools becoming more intuitive, he believes creativity no longer needs to start with a human idea. A dog’s reactions — what excites them, what scares them, what keeps their attention — could become the raw data that shapes narratives.

“Dogs already tell us what they like,” Holm has suggested in industry conversations. “We just haven’t been listening in a cinematic way.”

ALSO READ : Younghoe Koo Explains Botched Field Goal After Slip: “The Ball Was Moving So I Pulled Up”

Using sensors, computer vision, and behavioral AI models, a dog’s gaze, movement, or excitement could guide editing decisions, pacing, or even story arcs. The result wouldn’t be about dogs — it would be cinema filtered through a non-human perspective.

The Birth of the First Park Chan-Woof?

Holm jokingly refers to the possibility of minting the next Park Chan-wook — except this auteur would wag instead of walk the red carpet. The joke lands because it highlights something serious: great directors don’t just tell stories, they feel them. And dogs, arguably, are pure instinct.

Unlike human creators shaped by trends, algorithms, or box-office anxiety, dogs respond honestly. They don’t care about three-act structures or Rotten Tomatoes scores. They react in real time — and Holm believes that authenticity is something modern storytelling desperately needs.

Meet the Man Who Thinks Dogs Should Be Directors
The Chief AI & Innovation Officer of BARK, Mikkel Holm, has a few ideas for minting the next Park Chan-woof.

Why BARK Is the Perfect Place for This Idea

At BARK, data about canine behavior isn’t abstract. It’s central to the business. Millions of interactions — toys chewed, treats rejected, boxes loved — already inform product design. Translating that behavioral intelligence into creative output feels like a natural extension.

Holm’s role isn’t about replacing human creators. Instead, it’s about collaboration — humans setting the framework, AI translating signals, and dogs influencing the final creative choices in ways we’ve never seen before.

Is This Art or Absurdity?

Skeptics, of course, will laugh. Dogs as directors sounds like a headline built for clicks. But then again, so did AI-written novels, virtual influencers, and fully synthetic pop stars — until they weren’t jokes anymore.

Holm’s idea taps into a deeper cultural shift: creativity is no longer exclusively human. As tools evolve, authorship becomes shared — between humans, machines, and perhaps, one day, animals.

And if the result is strange, emotional, or unexpectedly beautiful? That might be the point.

A Future Where Creativity Isn’t Just Human

Cinema has always evolved with technology — from silent films to sound, black-and-white to color, analog to digital. Holm’s vision suggests the next leap might not be technical, but philosophical.

What happens when we stop asking who is allowed to create?

If the first dog-directed short film ever premieres at a festival someday, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t explain itself. Dogs, after all, have never felt the need to justify their instincts. Maybe storytellers shouldn’t either.

Technology News

Inside the Vision of the Man Who Trusts Dogs to Tell Stories on the Big Screen

From AI labs to film sets, BARK innovation chief Mikkel Holm has a radical idea — what if dogs weren’t just stars, but storytellers?

Published

3 weeks ago

on

January 13, 2026

By

Cobb

In an era where artificial intelligence is already writing scripts, composing music, and generating entire films, one creative mind is asking a question that feels equal parts absurd and oddly profound: Why shouldn’t dogs be directors?

That mind belongs to Mikkel Holm, the Chief AI & Innovation Officer at BARK, the pet brand best known for turning dog culture into a billion-dollar business. Holm isn’t pitching a gimmick. He’s questioning how creativity itself is defined — and who gets to own it.

From Fetch to Final Cut

Holm’s thinking sits at the crossroads of AI, storytelling, and animal behavior. With generative tools becoming more intuitive, he believes creativity no longer needs to start with a human idea. A dog’s reactions — what excites them, what scares them, what keeps their attention — could become the raw data that shapes narratives.

“Dogs already tell us what they like,” Holm has suggested in industry conversations. “We just haven’t been listening in a cinematic way.”

ALSO READ : Younghoe Koo Explains Botched Field Goal After Slip: “The Ball Was Moving So I Pulled Up”

Using sensors, computer vision, and behavioral AI models, a dog’s gaze, movement, or excitement could guide editing decisions, pacing, or even story arcs. The result wouldn’t be about dogs — it would be cinema filtered through a non-human perspective.

The Birth of the First Park Chan-Woof?

Holm jokingly refers to the possibility of minting the next Park Chan-wook — except this auteur would wag instead of walk the red carpet. The joke lands because it highlights something serious: great directors don’t just tell stories, they feel them. And dogs, arguably, are pure instinct.

Unlike human creators shaped by trends, algorithms, or box-office anxiety, dogs respond honestly. They don’t care about three-act structures or Rotten Tomatoes scores. They react in real time — and Holm believes that authenticity is something modern storytelling desperately needs.

Why BARK Is the Perfect Place for This Idea

At BARK, data about canine behavior isn’t abstract. It’s central to the business. Millions of interactions — toys chewed, treats rejected, boxes loved — already inform product design. Translating that behavioral intelligence into creative output feels like a natural extension.

Holm’s role isn’t about replacing human creators. Instead, it’s about collaboration — humans setting the framework, AI translating signals, and dogs influencing the final creative choices in ways we’ve never seen before.

Is This Art or Absurdity?

Skeptics, of course, will laugh. Dogs as directors sounds like a headline built for clicks. But then again, so did AI-written novels, virtual influencers, and fully synthetic pop stars — until they weren’t jokes anymore.

Holm’s idea taps into a deeper cultural shift: creativity is no longer exclusively human. As tools evolve, authorship becomes shared — between humans, machines, and perhaps, one day, animals.

And if the result is strange, emotional, or unexpectedly beautiful? That might be the point.

A Future Where Creativity Isn’t Just Human

Cinema has always evolved with technology — from silent films to sound, black-and-white to color, analog to digital. Holm’s vision suggests the next leap might not be technical, but philosophical.

What happens when we stop asking who is allowed to create?

If the first dog-directed short film ever premieres at a festival someday, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t explain itself. Dogs, after all, have never felt the need to justify their instincts. Maybe storytellers shouldn’t either.

Technology News

Meet the Man Who Wants Dogs in the Director’s Chair and Thinks Cinema Needs a Bark Side

From AI labs to film sets, BARK innovation chief Mikkel Holm has a radical idea — what if dogs weren’t just stars, but storytellers?

Published

4 weeks ago

on

January 6, 2026

By

Cobb

A playful yet provocative idea: Can canine instincts and AI collaboration reshape the future of filmmaking?

In an era where artificial intelligence is already writing scripts, composing music, and generating entire films, one creative mind is asking a question that feels equal parts absurd and oddly profound: Why shouldn’t dogs be directors?

That mind belongs to Mikkel Holm, the Chief AI & Innovation Officer at BARK, the pet brand best known for turning dog culture into a billion-dollar business. Holm isn’t pitching a gimmick. He’s questioning how creativity itself is defined — and who gets to own it.

From Fetch to Final Cut

Holm’s thinking sits at the crossroads of AI, storytelling, and animal behavior. With generative tools becoming more intuitive, he believes creativity no longer needs to start with a human idea. A dog’s reactions — what excites them, what scares them, what keeps their attention — could become the raw data that shapes narratives.

“Dogs already tell us what they like,” Holm has suggested in industry conversations. “We just haven’t been listening in a cinematic way.”

ALSO READ : Younghoe Koo Explains Botched Field Goal After Slip: “The Ball Was Moving So I Pulled Up”

Using sensors, computer vision, and behavioral AI models, a dog’s gaze, movement, or excitement could guide editing decisions, pacing, or even story arcs. The result wouldn’t be about dogs — it would be cinema filtered through a non-human perspective.

The Birth of the First Park Chan-Woof?

Holm jokingly refers to the possibility of minting the next Park Chan-wook — except this auteur would wag instead of walk the red carpet. The joke lands because it highlights something serious: great directors don’t just tell stories, they feel them. And dogs, arguably, are pure instinct.

Unlike human creators shaped by trends, algorithms, or box-office anxiety, dogs respond honestly. They don’t care about three-act structures or Rotten Tomatoes scores. They react in real time — and Holm believes that authenticity is something modern storytelling desperately needs.

Why BARK Is the Perfect Place for This Idea

At BARK, data about canine behavior isn’t abstract. It’s central to the business. Millions of interactions — toys chewed, treats rejected, boxes loved — already inform product design. Translating that behavioral intelligence into creative output feels like a natural extension.

Holm’s role isn’t about replacing human creators. Instead, it’s about collaboration — humans setting the framework, AI translating signals, and dogs influencing the final creative choices in ways we’ve never seen before.

Is This Art or Absurdity?

Skeptics, of course, will laugh. Dogs as directors sounds like a headline built for clicks. But then again, so did AI-written novels, virtual influencers, and fully synthetic pop stars — until they weren’t jokes anymore.

Holm’s idea taps into a deeper cultural shift: creativity is no longer exclusively human. As tools evolve, authorship becomes shared — between humans, machines, and perhaps, one day, animals.

And if the result is strange, emotional, or unexpectedly beautiful? That might be the point.

A Future Where Creativity Isn’t Just Human

Cinema has always evolved with technology — from silent films to sound, black-and-white to color, analog to digital. Holm’s vision suggests the next leap might not be technical, but philosophical.

What happens when we stop asking who is allowed to create?

If the first dog-directed short film ever premieres at a festival someday, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t explain itself. Dogs, after all, have never felt the need to justify their instincts. Maybe storytellers shouldn’t either.

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