PHOTO: Maria Johnsen, the visionary author and filmmaker, whose career bridges AI innovation and cinematic storytelling across multiple languages and cultures.
Blending Technology Storytelling And Global Imagination
Maria Johnsen discusses her expansive career across artificial intelligence, multilingual marketing, filmmaking, and literature—revealing how creativity, curiosity, and resilience shape her work across borders and disciplines.
Maria Johnsen stands at the rare crossroads of science, storytelling, and global communication. With fluency not only in multiple languages but also in the lexicons of artificial intelligence, filmmaking, and digital marketing, her work defies categorisation. Through over ninety books and a formidable body of multimedia work, she invites readers and audiences to see innovation not as an isolated pursuit but as an act of human connection—thoughtful, expressive, and deeply ethical.
In The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing, she confronts the evolving landscape of AI with a critical eye and visionary spirit, while Agentic AI explores the urgent tensions between autonomy and accountability. Yet, just as deftly, she steps into the world of poetry, psychological thrillers, and even music—each medium serving as a canvas for her intellectual and emotional range.
Her creative output is underscored by an unshakable drive—born, perhaps, from early moments of dismissal, misrecognition, and solitude in male-dominated classrooms. But it is precisely this tension that fuels her art and inquiry, and which lends her work its unmistakable depth. Whether through the lens of a camera or the line of code in an AI system, Johnsen’s compass remains steadfast: to build, to question, and above all, to illuminate.
It is this unwavering commitment—to truth, to expression, to pushing boundaries—that makes Maria Johnsen’s journey so compelling. She is not merely charting new territories; she is redefining the map.
What inspired you to explore such a diverse range of subjects across your books, from AI and digital marketing to poetry and psychological thrillers?
My curiosity has always been interdisciplinary. I see no boundaries between technology, creativity, and human experience. Each field I write about, be it artificial intelligence, multilingual marketing, or poetry, offers a unique lens through which we understand ourselves and the world around us. Writing across these genres is my way of connecting logic with emotion, science with storytelling, and innovation with empathy.
For example, in Building Machines That See, Think, and Act Like Humans: Engineering Conscious Machines, https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FBK7V9JV I introduced my invention, an AGI-powered neuromorphic system designed to restore vision to the blind. It leverages synthetic eyes, real-time AGI interpretation, and brain-computer interfaces to recreate sight, even in cases of total or cortical blindness, by delivering perception-ready signals directly to the brain. It reframes blindness as an interruption in the visual information pipeline, which advanced AI can intelligently reconstruct.
Given your expertise in multilingual digital marketing, how do you approach cultural nuances when crafting campaigns for international audiences?
Respect and in-depth research are the foundation of successful multilingual marketing. I immerse myself in each target culture, its language, symbolism, humour, values, and even its taboos, to ensure the messaging resonates authentically. I pioneered this field a few years ago, at a time when multilingual SEO and digital marketing were virtually unknown. Very quickly, I attracted clients from around the world, and soon after, other agencies began replicating my approach. Today, many claim expertise in this space, but true cultural intelligence remains a necessity, not a luxury, for building trust and meaningful engagement across borders.
In The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing, you discuss ethical implications what do you believe is the most urgent ethical issue facing AI today?
The most pressing ethical issue is algorithmic bias, how machine learning systems can unknowingly reinforce existing inequalities. AI systems reflect the data they’re trained on, and if that data is biased, the outcomes can be discriminatory. Ensuring transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in AI design is urgent. We need a proactive approach, not a reactive one, especially as AI becomes more deeply embedded in decision-making.
What were some of the personal and professional challenges you faced while breaking into the male-dominated field of computer engineering?
One of the biggest challenges was being constantly underestimated. I often had to prove not only my competence but also my right to be in the room. When I studied AI and computer engineering at university in Norway, I was the only girl in my class. I had many innovative ideas; one of them closely resembled what later became Google Glass, which Sergey Brin introduced two years afterward. When I shared the concept with my professor, he laughed at me. My ideas were often dismissed until they were echoed by male peers. These experiences, while frustrating, fueled my determination. Male dominance in this field remains prevalent, even in countries that pride themselves on being progressive and advanced. I transformed skepticism into motivation, and it was working systematically, self-discipline, and relentless learning that helped me break through those barriers.
Your book Agentic AI explores autonomy in artificial intelligence how close do you think we are to truly autonomous systems, and what excites or concerns you most about this future?
We are approaching a threshold where AI systems can make context-aware decisions with minimal human input. While full autonomy, especially with self-directed goal formulation, remains an aspiration, foundational elements are already here in robotics, finance, and adaptive systems. What excites me is the potential for AI to enhance human capability in areas like healthcare and education. What concerns me is the delegation of moral judgment to systems not yet capable of ethical reasoning. We must embed value alignment and human oversight by design, not as an afterthought.
In The Business of Filmmaking, you stress the importance of networking, can you share a pivotal moment in your career that was shaped by the connections you built?
Absolutely. From an early age, when I was just 10 years old, I was profoundly influenced by a close friend of my father’s who was a renowned film producer. He taught me invaluable lessons about filmmaking and screenwriting. My very first short film was even showcased at a children’s film festival in my country.
Later, I pursued a master’s degree at Royal Holloway, University of London, where I was fortunate to learn from some truly renowned British professors and industry professionals. Among them were Jonathan Cavendish, producer of Bridget Jones’s Diary; Mark Dormer, producer of The Whale; Gillian Gordon, Executive Director and producer; Jonathan Powell, former BBC One film producer; and my screenwriting professor Nicholas Martin, who wrote the biography-based film Florence Foster Jenkins, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant. In my opinion, he is not only the best screenwriter but also a truly gifted one.
There were moments during my studies when I felt like giving up, but Gillian encouraged me to persevere. These connections proved invaluable throughout my career as a film director, producer, and screenwriter. For me, networking is not just about creating opportunities, it’s about mutual growth and a shared vision.
Filmmaking is an expensive endeavour that requires substantial funding, so networking often plays a crucial role. However, in my case, I had to take the harder path, relying on persistence, self funding my films, resourcefulness, and determination to overcome challenges and bring my projects to life.
How does your work in film and TV production influence your writing style or content in your books, especially those dealing with technical or complex topics?
Working in film taught me the power of visual storytelling and emotional pacing. When writing technical material, I approach it as I would a screenplay, building narrative arcs, creating tension, and focusing on clarity and engagement. I want readers to experience knowledge, not just consume it. That cinematic mindset helps translate complex topics into accessible, compelling narratives.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors who wish to write across multiple genres and disciplines as you have successfully done?
Don’t wait for permission to explore; curiosity is your greatest asset. Master the fundamentals of every genre you pursue, and don’t be afraid to challenge conventions. Discipline is essential: write consistently, read widely, and as a filmmaker, watch as many films as you can across all genres. Engage with both celebrated and overlooked works; in my view, there are no bad films, only unpolished ones.
Don’t fear mistakes. If you don’t create, you won’t grow, whether in your writing, filmmaking, or any other craft. Share your work freely across social media and video platforms. Don’t be discouraged by a lack of likes, views, or shares. Keep showing up, the right audience will find you. For instance, when I publish my books, music, or films on platforms like YouTube, I trust that those who are meant to discover them will. In my album Feel the Elements https://soundcloud.com/maria-johnsen-official/how-to-feel-the-sky , I even wrote for blind audiences, explaining concepts like the colors https://soundcloud.com/maria-johnsen-official/colors or the sun https://soundcloud.com/maria-johnsen-official/feel-the-sun , things that are often hard to grasp without sight.
Embrace feedback from industry professionals, and let your voice evolve with each project. Authenticity and adaptability are essential to sustaining a dynamic, cross-disciplinary creative journey. I often work across genres, writing, filmmaking, composing music, and acting, because it keeps my creativity fluid and ever-evolving.
