The forum as a space for critical reflection on the role of AI in culture
The programme opened with a welcome speech by Mateja Zorn (Kinoatelje), head of the cross-border film festival Poklon viziji – Tribute to a Vision, within which the event took place. Micaela Passon from GECT GO / EZTS GO, which enabled the implementation of the forum, highlighted in her address the importance of fostering and supporting international cultural cooperation.
Next, Mateja Lazar from Motovila (CED Slovenia) emphasized that the forum was not focused on the technological aspects of AI but rather on the encounter of representatives from the cultural and creative sectors, reflecting on how AI influences their work, creative processes and society. The aim of the event was to encourage reflection on the ethical, social, and environmental dimensions of the digital transformation and to promote a shift from resistance to new technologies toward their informed, responsible and resilient adoption.
Dr. Angus Finney: Five key concepts for the vision of the future
The forum highlighted various theoretical, practical, and policy perspectives. In his keynote address, Dr Angus Finney (University of Cambridge, UK), a visionary at the intersection of film and artificial intelligence, presented five key concepts defining his vision for the future development of the audiovisual and broader cultural-creative field:
- autonomy – distinguishing between the automation of tasks and the necessity of preserving creative freedom;
- adoption – the uneven uptake of artificial intelligence, often driven not by genuine needs but by the pressure of technological promises;
- augmentation – human-machine collaboration based on the human in the loop principle, where technology enhances human creativity;
- authenticity – their logic facilitates access to content but simultaneously risks homogenization and the loss of diversity; and
- alignment – the greatest challenge of our time: how to align the development of artificial intelligence with human values and goals.
Notably, he deliberately omits the notion of abundance, since technological optimism that promises infinite growth and prosperity does not ensure quality, fairness or sustainability. Excess can lead to saturation and a loss of creative value. Finney warns: the question is not what AI can do, but what it should and ought to do.
Ethical, environmental and social aspects of artificial intelligence in culture and creative sectors
Following Dr Finney’s keynote, two panel discussions featuring international speakers took place, moderated by Jana Renée Wilcoxen and Gwendolenn Sharp. The first panel focused on the technological, ethical, environmental and social dimensions of AI use, featuring:
- Anna Giralt Gris – award-winning Spanish producer and director, co-founder of Artefacto, exploring film, technology and AI;
- Marco Fiore – expert in cultural policy, cultural heritage and AI ethics, advocating for digital justice, sustainable transformation and social dialogue through culture;
- Gwendolenn Sharp – founder of the French organization The Green Room, promoting environmental and social change in the music sector and cultural sectors in general; and
- Filip Dobranić – philosopher, sociologist of culture, and co-founder of the Danes je nov dan / Today Is a New Day Institute, which uses digital tools to strengthen democracy, transparency and social change.
Opportunities and challenges of AI in diverse cultural practices
After a short break, the second session focused on AI and environmental sustainability. Moderator Gwendolenn Sharp led an engaging discussion on the opportunities and challenges presented by the sustainable use of AI technologies in creative practices, with the following contributors:
- Tanja Petrič – award-winning literary critic, translator and president of the Slovenian Association of Literary Translators, advocating for authors’ rights in the digital environment;
- Nejc Trampuž – Slovenian new media artist known for interactive projects exploring AI, society, ecology and the future;
- Ivan Iovine – Italian interaction designer, researcher and media artist combining robotics, AI and biomimetics to explore the relationship between nature and technology; and
- Matija Šturm – producer and animation expert, president of Slovene Animated Film Association and board member of the international initiative CEE Animation and Slovenian Federation of Filmmakers’ Guilds.
