Artists on Artificial Intelligence

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IBM is working with Lumen Art Projects to develop knowledge sharing between artists and technologists.

Companies everywhere are collaborating to solidify their competitive advantage. This is something that our report on ‘Becoming a Cognitive Enterprise’ describes, as companies are developing these collaborations as a way of reinventing their businesses, expanding their expertise or competing in adjacent markets.

Often these relationships include global organisations working with start-ups and scale-ups to develop new offerings. Yet, sometimes the best innovations develop when completely different industries come together. This is why we are developing connections with artists, creatives and academics – to share knowledge and challenge each other to build more innovative experiences.

Developing relationships with artistic communities

On 25^th October, we will be hosting an event from Lumen Art Projects called ‘Artists on Artificial Intelligence’, a day of discussion, debate and demos from artists working with AI. This event forms part of the 2019 Lumen Prize Awards programme, following their Awards ceremony at The Barbican Centre.

Tracey Gilbert, Executive Partner at IBM IX, explains that: “I believe that the more we think about Artificial Intelligence and automation, the more we must consider the human experience and explore different ways to connect to that experience. Art is one of the ways in which we imagine new ways to use AI. After all, some of the reasons we create art: to understand, reason, learn and interact are the same as the core pillars of Artificial Intelligence.”

She adds that, “IBM continues to build relationships with different communities and groups to experiment and to build different solutions for the applying AI. These relationships and collaborations influence how we apply AI across industries.”

Lumen Art Projects and the Lumen Prize for Art and Technology

Lumen Art Projects has been supporting artists working with technology since 2012. During this time, they have developed a network of over 500 artists working with technology, all of whom have either won awards or been longlisted or shortlisted for their annual competition, the Lumen Prize for Art and Technology.

The event will feature Mario Klingemann who won the Lumen Prize Gold Award in 2018 as well as artists that have been shortlisted for the 2019 Lumen Prize. They will be appearing alongside experts in art created with AI.

Artists on Artificial Intelligence

As well as discussing how artists today are engaging with Artificial Intelligence tools, speakers will also be discussing associated concerns such as trust, privacy, and the tension between creatives and technology companies working with Artificial Intelligence.

“For artists who engage with technology, this day of talks at IBM is a dream come true. Most of our artists are true techies, a skill set that is not always welcomed in the contemporary art world.  At this event, they can reveal their true nature, celebrate the combination of art and tech and explore its creative potential,” says Carla Rapoport, Founder and CEO of Lumen Art Projects.

IBM has a long history of working with artists. From working with Charles and Ray Eames on the IBM Pavilion in the 1960s, through to more recent projects such as creating the first thinking sculpture and designing the cognitive Marchesa dress.

Each of these, in their own way act as proof that when technologists and artists challenge each other they build more innovative experiences. So, we look forward to seeing where the conversations from this day lead to.