Cognitive and computational neuroscientist Anil Seth is recognized as among the 0.1% most impactful scientists in terms of publications. A recurring TED speaker, he will start off the day by dissecting the “purely human” vs the machine: Where does creativity start, where does it come from? Can computers be creative at all?

In this fireside chat moderated by AC Coppens, we will explore the intersection of consciousness, creativity and AI with clarity and nuance. What is the role of biology in shaping our ability to create and innovate? Seth will discuss the concept of anthropocentric biases and explore the workings of the brain as a prediction machine. Could this be the origin of inspiration?

Artists who have found a unique voice by placing AI at the core of their creative work talk to us about best practices and stories of failure, new possibilities and current limitations. In a series of presentations spanning digital art, music, film and poetry, we map the potential that AI brings to the art world—from digital twins to combining soul with the machine, from embracing the unexpected to projects that can finally see the light of day thanks to AI. How can AI ignite the spark to help find a fresh creative voice?

AI not only fosters new collaborative practices between humans and machine; it also creates new cooperative frameworks across the creative ecosystem that often extend beyond particular fields of art.

Will AI usher in an era where art becomes more collaborative and iterative? Artists from various fields, including music, games, and performative arts will share their experiences of cooperation: how they collaborate within collectives, how they include protagonists, communities and audiences in their creative process and how they work with technology companies.

As the impact of AI grows, it is crucial to examine collectively the infrastructures and frameworks needed for the artistic ecosystem to fully embrace the creative potential of the technology. In this interactive fishbowl session, participants will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and engage in a dialogue with artists, technologists, educators, institutions and policymakers.

What constitutes AI infrastructures for (digital) art? Which frameworks should be implemented to not perpetuate global inequalities? How can Europe best support the ecosystem in AI-driven artistic innovation? What roles do education, ethics and design play? Should the ecosystem be regulated by law, and if so, how?

This session begins by examining the concept of creativity: Can we truly conceive of “artificial creativity”? Is AI capable of true innovation, or is it a tool reflecting human input? 
As AI-generated art becomes indistinguishable from human-created works, should we think of a “Turing test” for creativity?  Does this blurring of lines influence how we legally define or protect such creations?
The session will also showcase examples of how AI is creating new visual narratives and redefining reality by repetition of facts, establishing ontological aesthetics and semantics.

This session begins by examining the concept of creativity: Can we truly conceive of “artificial creativity”? Is AI capable of true innovation, or is it a tool reflecting human input? 
As AI-generated art becomes indistinguishable from human-created works, should we think of a “Turing test” for creativity?  Does this blurring of lines influence how we legally define or protect such creations?
The session will also showcase examples of how AI is creating new visual narratives and redefining reality by repetition of facts, establishing ontological aesthetics and semantics.

We will also challenge if IP philosophical foundations can sustain the rapidly changing digital reality, and whether the systems in place truly serve the artists they claim to protect. 
Tracing copyright history and reflecting on its “negative spaces”, we’ll illustrate the paradoxes of copyright law in the digital age, where frameworks built on philosophical rationales of intellectual scarcity are strained by the new reality of digital abundance.

By examining the frictions that AI poses to copyright and critiquing the fairness of systems for creators, we challenge the notion that expanding copyright to cover training data will ensure financial gains for creators. Moreover, we showcase how the current wave of AI litigation can have unintended consequences for society and creators, by shrinking the definition of “fair use” and the commons.

A presentation by Lisa Käde followed by a talk with Jo Lawson-Tancred.

The value of art is already an intricate and ever-evolving subject, depending on many parameters which can make pricing and remuneration a tricky subject. How do the landscape, values and value chains change when AI is introduced?

Examining creative commons, licensing and IP is the base of this conversation, but we need to consider who is making money, who is not, and what is changing in the ecosystem at scale.

We will close the day with a fireside chat with Hito Steyerl, a visionary filmmaker, moving-image artist, writer and innovator of the essay documentary. With a keen interest in media and technology and a PhD in philosophy, Steyerl brings a unique and critical view on AI’s role in the art world.

Is there value in AI art? Is it a creative tool, or are we beyond that phase already? In a world where big tech tools are often unfairly trained, non-transparent and rely on exploitative infrastructure, how should we navigate their use? Can AI serve as a tool of critique, and help us envision a radically different future? Hosted by AC Coppens, this conversation will weave in questions that emerge throughout the day.