The rise of artificial intelligence has had an enormous impact on the creative industries. Designers, curious by nature, are not afraid to experiment with the many new tools at their disposal. A.I. possesses an almost magical quality; it can clear new pathways for learning, make processes more efficient and even generate visuals and words that inspire. On the flipside, many are concerned about the impact A.I. might have on the job market, the data it’s using, and the biases it reproduces.
What do these feelings of apprehension tell us about the shifting relationship between art and technology? Can design help us imagine a more positive future for computers and humans alike? During the A.I. & Designers breakout session at WDCD Live Amsterdam 2024, we unpacked these questions together with several experts and makers from various different industries. Beautifully led by facilitator Abdo Hassan, the panel discussed how we might better manage our legal, emotional and creative responses to emerging technologies, offering insights and examples from their own life’s work.
“Really, this might be one of the most diverse conversations about A.I. that I’ve participated in,” said Abdo at one point in the session, highlighting the range of stories that we were hearing from the guest speakers on stage. They included information designer Karin Fischnaller, artist-futurist Lisanne Buik and architect Afaina de Jong, who recently founded the Embodied Restoration Lab, an initiative exploring the “possibilities of ecological restoration and the underlying values that are tied to the systems and algorithms we use.” We were also joined by legal advisor Jordi Vreeling, who represented BNO, the Association of Dutch Designers, and self-professed “emoji expert” Lilian Stolk, who is co-founder and director of The Hmm. Here, we break down four key takeaways from the lively session.
TRANSPARENCY IS KEY
One of the first things that became obvious during the session was the level of uncertainty — and even apprehension — that much of the audience felt when it came to using A.I. technologies. As we learn to navigate this rapidly changing landscape, Jordi reminds us that transparency is key. Knowing who is behind a creative output — and the process with which it’s made — is especially important when it comes to generative and image-based A.I. tools. Only works which are created by humans can be copyrighted — so pay attention to the minds behind the machines and the difference between creativity and prediction. Clearly identify A.I. generated outputs, and don’t hesitate to seek advice from creative unions like BNO. If you’re in Europe, read up on how to protect your own authorship through initiatives like the EU’s A.I. Act, or Pictoright’s Opt Out Now.
“Remember: computers don’t create, they predict.” — Jordi Vreeling
COMPUTERS CONSUME MORE THAN POWER
It’s useful to know when A.I. is legal, but it’s even more important to question what makes it ethical. Here, we must acknowledge that no design or technology can truly ever be neutral, least of all those that are trained on human biases and limitations. This is why an intersectional and feminist approach to A.I. is needed: so that we may better account for how it relates to issues like access, consent and even energy. Because as Afaina points out, there is nothing sustainable about the amount of fossil fuels that is currently being used to run computers and data centres around the world — an amount that is set to double every 100 days. Managing this means taking a closer look at all the ways that we feed A.I. today, from the information it catalogues to the computational power it requires. The question becomes: how can we move beyond capitalist relations in A.I.? Or imagine a digital future that is based on smaller, more community-based models?
INTELLIGENCE COMES IN MANY FORMS
Following this, we also heard about the need to revisit and revalue different ways of knowing. “There is so much intelligence that is undervalued in society,” says Lisanne on this topic. As A.I. develops, we must remember that neither rational nor human intelligence is inherently superior to the wisdom — and grace — that can be found in emotions or in other life forms. However many problems technology seems to solve, there is still so much we can learn from the organic world. What if we could teach A.I. to become more regenerative or restorative? Could we cultivate it to move, multiply or even metabolise information in the way that nature does? On this, the panel is clear: when it comes to building resilient networks and systems, there are many lessons to be found in the way fungi, bacteria and algae sustain our planet.
DON’T FORGET TO PLAY
Though there are always reasons to be critical, the rise of A.I. also gives us a lot to be excited about. This is something that Karin and Lilian both highlighted when talking about their own creative practice. They remind us that fear can be tempered by playfulness, and that some things can only be learned by doing. In the end, their call to action was simple: interact with A.I. if you want to know its possibilities. Poke it, prod it, make experimental art with it. If it helps, think of it less as a black box, and more as a small child — one which will certainly take a village to raise. Eventually, this was the point that echoed long after the conversation was over. “We all have to participate,” said Abdo as he closed the session. “We all have to parent this thing.”
“We can problematize as much as we want, but at the end of the day, these technologies are inevitable and we also need to play with them.” — Lilian Stolk
All images: Jasper ten Tusscher.