Jorge Lacera on Building Worlds with Soul: Key Insights into AI Storytelling, IP Strategy, and the Future of Immersive Tech
- Nico Fara
- Nov 11
- 5 min read
This week on the Immergence Show, we were thrilled to host Jorge Lacera, a culturally intelligent creative executive who builds and scales world-class teams and drives innovation at the intersection of technology and storytelling. He is a recognized voice in AAA gaming, immersive media, and creative strategy, having led art for legendary franchises like BioShock and now serving as Art Director for Oculus Publishing.
Lacera shared profound insights into the future of IP in an AI-generated world and, critically, how to fight the rise of "soulless media."
This article distills the key educational takeaways and pivotal insights from our discussion. While we explore the core concepts here, to truly grasp the depth of Lacera's vision, including his candid story about how a recent Coca-Cola ad pushed his son to start drinking Pepsi, the full video interview is a must-watch.
The "Eye Candy" vs. "Eye Protein" Problem
A core theme of our discussion was the "loss of visual sophistication" as AI tools accelerate. Lacera noted that while AI generators are fantastic at creating the illusion of complexity, they often produce "style over substance." The result is a flood of superficially attractive images that feel glossy, plastic, and ultimately hollow.
He perfectly captured this by borrowing a quote from Guillermo del Toro, distinguishing between two types of creative content.
Key Insight: "He focuses on creating not eye candy, but eye protein."
Lacera argued that audiences are becoming inundated with "eye candy" and will eventually crave content with substance. Brands that lean too heavily on fast, shallow AI generation risk diluting their connection with their audience, betraying the care and intentionality that builds loyalty.
Why AI Lacks "Soul": The Missing Ingredients
But why do so many AI-generated images feel shallow? Lacera's diagnosis is that the technology, by its very nature, lacks the three core ingredients of true art. AI is a "pattern recognition" and "pattern predicting" engine. It can mimic and remix, but it cannot originate from a place of human experience.
This is because, at its core, art is about much more than a final image. It's about the struggle, the ambiguity, and the "why" behind it. AI is not capable of sitting with ambiguity; it is designed to resolve it as quickly as possible.
Key Insight: "Without vision, intention and drive, those AI generated images will remain shallow because there's no underpinning rules... and there's no intentionality to it."
The Framework for Building Worlds with Soul
If AI isn't the answer, what is? For creators and brands looking to build an IP that lasts, Lacera's framework is powerfully simple. It all begins with a single, vital question: "Why?"
He noted that you'd be surprised how many massive projects are started without a clear answer. He cited legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, who famously begins every project with a one-page mission statement: Why is he making this film? Who is it for? What is he trying to say?
For Spirited Away, the "why" was to create a film for pre-teen Japanese girls who he felt were becoming disenfranchised with the world. That incredible specificity, that core intention, is precisely what gave the film its universal power and resonance.
Key Insight: "When you start with the why, you can really start to understand what it is that you're making, and make decisions and choices against that razor."
Scaling the Soul: From 2 to 200
A clear "why" is one thing for a solo artist, but how do you maintain that soul when scaling a team from two people to 200, as Lacera did on the BioShock franchise?
The answer isn't about micromanaging. It's about taking that "why" and translating it into "objective markers." By answering as many questions as possible upfront—defining the art style, the visual language, the color palettes—you create an "art Bible." This checklist empowers artists across the globe to make consistent decisions, eliminating cognitive load and allowing them to focus on execution.
Lacera shared a powerful story from BioShock Infinite. The team had worked for over two and a half years on a version of the game that was dark, stormy, and heavily Art Nouveau. They realized it looked and felt too much like the original underwater BioShock. It violated their "why." Their solution? A bold, terrifying decision: they scrapped it all and restarted, resulting in the iconic, bright, daylight-filled city of Columbia. That willingness to pivot to protect the core vision is what separates good from legendary.
Key Insight: "The AI... cannot, on its own, create... a work of art, because it is not a human being and it will never be a human being and have the experiences of a human being."
Looking Ahead: The Craving for Human Stories
When asked about the future, Lacera expressed immense excitement for Augmented and Mixed Reality (AR/MR), seeing it as a new frontier for bespoke, engaging experiences.
But his most powerful prediction was a simple, and perhaps controversial, one. In a world rushing toward artificial everything, the most valuable commodity will be authenticity.
Key Insight: "I think... human beings want to hear human stories that have to do with what it means to be alive..."
He argued that no matter how advanced technology becomes, we will always crave stories from a unique, human perspective. The future of IP, then, isn't about who has the best AI, but who has the clearest, most human "why."
Don't Miss the Full Masterclass!
This article provides a strategic overview, but the magic is in the details! To hear Jorge Lacera share the personal story of finding his calling in a library sketchbook, his step-by-step advice for creators, and a hilarious moment where he had to prove he wasn't an AI, and to truly absorb their expertise:
About Your Host & The Immergence Show
Nico Fara is a Go-To-Market Strategist, Product Marketing Consultant, and passionate Community Builder specializing in the vibrant intersection of AI, Gaming, XR, and Consumer Tech. With a talent for translating visionary tech into compelling product strategies and fostering thriving, engaged communities, Nico empowers brands to connect authentically with their audiences and drive impactful growth. Explore Nico's insights further by visiting www.nicofara.com or www.productmarketpro.com
Get your weekly dose of community and cutting-edge insights on The Immergence Show, a thriving live community event where innovation in AI, XR, Web3, Gaming, and Retail-Tech meets a deeply engaged global community. We host interactive discussions with industry pioneers, ensuring our audience of creative technologists, entrepreneurs, and brand executives leaves with fresh perspectives and actionable knowledge. Join the live experience every Tuesday at 12 PM EST on LinkedIn, catch up on all past episodes via our YouTube Channel and find more resources on www.theimmergence.com.
Comments