Welcoming Fred Grinstein as a 2026 Starling Lab Fellow
We are delighted to announce that Fred Grinstein has joined Starling Lab as a 2026 Fellow, where he continues his research at the intersection of documentary practice, generative AI, and media authenticity.
Fred is a media executive, producer, and co-founder of Machine Cinema, based in Los Angeles. His career spans film and television, emerging technologies, and the creator economy. As Head of Non-Fiction Programming at Anonymous Content, he oversaw projects including Undercurrent: The Disappearance of Kim Wall (HBO), At the Ready (Sundance 2021), and Murders Before the Marathon (Hulu). His independent credits include Oscar short-listed Hidden Letters and Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (Tribeca 2022). Earlier in his career he served as VP of Development at Viceland alongside Creative Director Spike Jonze, and as a Senior Director of Programming at A&E.
At Starling Lab, Fred has focused on how spatial intelligence and generative AI can be applied responsibly to non-fiction storytelling — and what verification frameworks are needed as captured and synthetic media become increasingly difficult to distinguish. His work includes developing a tranparent media “ingredient list” guidelines for AI creative workflows, research into 3D reconstruction of archival and historical materials, and contributions to Stanford’s EE292J, Designing for Authenticity.