Meet: Dominik Komar, 18 Havas Warsaw
Warsaw, the best city in Poland to live in if you want to stay ahead of the game in terms of tech, startups, and fancy nutrition habits
“AI will change our lives, the work we do, our economic systems, and social relationships… It is crucial to build awareness on the social impact we bring through the introduction of deep learning to every aspect of our jobs.”
Where do you come from and how did you end up working at 18?
I’m from Warsaw, which I think is the best city in Poland to live in if you want to stay ahead of the game in terms of tech, startups, and fancy nutrition habits.
My first job was in high school developing Flash websites. I graduated in Economics from Warsaw University. After my studies, I had a short adventure with journalism and marketing, before landing my first serious job at Mindshare. At the media agency, I discovered a natural pull towards new media and madtech. After 6 years, I joined Havas Media Group. And since there happened to be empty space for an innovation unit focused on things like IoT, VR and AI, with some help from my colleagues and the board, I created one and we named it the Innovation Lab. Then I found out there is a global Havas entity named 18, which was like the next level for our small venture. In June 2016 we successfully launched 18 Warsaw.
What’s the most exciting innovation on the market now? What is defining the next 18 months to you?
Definitely, Artificial Intelligence. I have no doubt AI will change our lives, the work we do, our economic systems, and social relationships. On the other hand, the more I read, know, and understand about AI, the less enthusiastic and the more cautious and pragmatic I am about it. I think it is crucial to build awareness on the social impact we bring through the introduction of deep learning to every aspect of our jobs. As Gerd Leonhard recently noted, “Anything that can be codified will not be human turf for much longer.” I don’t think it is a matter of the next 18 months, but surely in the following years we will witness an explosion of AI-driven solutions. It is therefore more than reasonable to embrace this change as soon as possible to understand it and use it for the best.
What’s a great example of innovative marketing in your opinion?
I very much enjoyed what Turkish Airlines did with Warner Bros. and the Batman v Superman movie. The brand managed to creatively extend the partnership and design a cross-channel experience, opening new destinations to Gotham and Metropolis, the Super Bowl ads featuring actors starring in the film, and some additional merchandise. A very cool campaign that let an utterly pragmatic service enter a fictional universe in a very convincing and entertaining way.
What’s your favorite TV series, movie, video game, or music?
Black Mirror, because everything it shows is so close to reality that it’s creepy. Each episode is different, with plots nested in a somewhat dystopian, near-future reality where all the new technologies that are now perceived as the “next big things” are already there, and their impact on people is actually far from positive. Smart contact lenses, Augmented Reality, social currency, virtual assistants, and more. It all makes you think about what can go wrong.
If I had to pick one movie, I’d choose the Star Wars trilogy. Obviously.
