The Committee for Culture and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia has addressed the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on art and culture and asked Prof. Dr. Pamela C. Scorzin, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Design at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, for an expert assessment.
In her statement to the committee hearing entitled "Effects of AI on art and culture in NRW - accompanying and shaping", Professor Scorzin(Opens in a new tab) emphasized that artists and creatives were already intensively involved with artificial intelligence before the AI hype of 2023. She also emphasized that despite the increased interest in AI across the board, the necessary technological infrastructure and financial support for in-depth artistic and creative research and application of AI are still largely lacking.
In her statement, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Design outlined the many ways in which contemporary artists use AI in their productions - from critical-analytical to experimental-research. She emphasized the exploration of human and technologically enhanced creativity. She also pointed out that in the current media landscape, the focus is often on risks and technology impact assessments, especially in relation to deepfakes and memes generated by AI. The importance of new media education should therefore not be underestimated, the scientist explained. However, she warned against excessive regulation and bans and instead pleaded for the recognition of new business models and development potential in the arts and culture sector.
Representatives of the collecting society Bild-Kunst, the Copyright Initiative, the Dortmund Academy for Theater and Digitality and other researchers from the social sciences and computer science were also heard by the Culture and Media Committee of the NRW state parliament. The full statement by Prof. Dr. Pamela Scorzin is available on the website of the state parliament.(Opens in a new tab)
The discussion in the Culture and Media Committee of the NRW state parliament showed the relevance of the topic and the need for further debate on the role of artificial intelligence in the creative landscape.