What an exciting day we had last Tuesday as we officially kicked off our new expert practice: Digital Culture, Art, and AI. Thank you to all our expert participants!

This initiative, led by Trilce Navarrete, explores the transformative role of cutting-edge technologies in the art and cultural sector, focusing on new forms of cultural participation and fostering discussions on ethics, creativity, and human-centered AI.  As part of a broader mission of Erasmus University Rotterdam, it draws on interdisciplinary expertise in social sciences to address societal questions surrounding AI in the cultural realm.

💡Ellen van Schoten, the Vice President of EUR, opened the plenary session. The talks and academic ignite panel inspired dialogues on innovation in digital culture, art, and AI. Here are some key takeaways from the talks featuring our (inter)national experts:
– XR platforms are dominated by gamers, which makes it difficult for users to discover cultural content offered through these technologies. More inclusive platforms are needed to bridge this gap. Marie Ballarini
– When using chatbots in museums, answer correctness isn’t the only factor that matters. Speech synthesis and silent cues (activating content by facing the object) are important for more engaging, intuitive interactions. Stefan Schaffer
– 3D image-based reconstructions will be pivotal for the future of the web. Marc is the first open-source machine that can enable these. Jan Verwoerd
– Gijs Gootjes introduced EIT Culture & Creativity, an initiative that fosters innovation in digital art and culture by supporting organizations in adopting emerging technologies and new business models.

💬Takeaways from the panel with our EUR academics:
Vivian Chen showcased how immersive gaming can foster connection and mutual understanding through personalized avatars. Jay Lee debunked the myth that age is a key factor in AI and immersive tech appreciation, noting that the interest spans all generations – a reflection that was also mentioned by Marie Ballarini. Adriaan Odendaal emphasized the need to prioritize creative practitioners in AI development. Yvonne van Everdingen explored digitalizing street art and overcoming negative perceptions of AI-generated art. Merit Zimmermann discussed the heritagization of digital culture and how it changes the traditional value-creation processes.

We can learn from the cultural sector’s pioneering use of data, AI, and immersive tech. Collaborations between artists, academics, and industry leaders can pave the way for the responsible and inclusive adoption of these impactful innovations.

🚀 Our attendees also had the opportunity to immerse themselves in our interactive gallery walk at the Erasmus Data Collaboratory | House of AI. Stunning art pieces and demos fused data, AI, and immersive tech, triggering key societal, philosophical, and innovative questions. We will reveal more insights from our gallery walk soon, please stay tuned.