Linz, In Kepler's Gardens

A creative challenge with AIs and humans

Homeschooling, distance learning and social distancing bring our society into close contact with Artificial Intelligences in everyday life. We use it, we rely on it, but most of the time, we don’t recognize it. This international challenge is aimed at experimenting with AI by exploring the limits of humanness and robotness. What are the main differences between us and algorithms? How can we reveal AI technologies in our everyday lives and “make fun of them” or even use them as creative tools?

“AI vs humans” doesn’t have a winner. In the challenge, speed or IQ won’t be compared – the project will come up with new ways of bringing the two species closer to each other. Humans might learn new things about the nature of Artificial Intelligences – and AI might recognize its inability to fully replace humans …

The international network of create your world (AT), mb21 (DE) and <19 (HU) as well as ArtechLAB Amsterdam (NL) are all exploring different aspects of digitization through the eyes of youth and from the perspective of education. The challenge is a direct reaction to challenges posed to their longstanding youth exchange project by the global pandemic. With this new, fully online format, they aim to motivate participants to think about AI as a society-forming force in the most accessible way possible.

The international youth encounter project is a very successful format of Ars Electronica. create your world cooperates with various partner institutions (media art festivals, educational institutions and competitions in the youth sector) from the European region in order to invite and bring together young people from different regions for a cultural and artistic exchange.

All of the participants come with individual competencies and expertise to develop and implement a joint project over the period from June to August 2021, which in turn will be presented at the Ars Electronica Festival.

On the occasion of the Ars Electronica Festival 2021, introductory lectures by experts, creative workshops, individual or group work and presentation opportunities were held on the project title *I am (not) a robot – Creative challenge with AIs and humans*, as well as accompanying mentorship.

Meet the artists on gather.town on thursday and friday from 10:00 to 12:00 a.m., saturday and sunday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Outside of these times, you can explore the virtual environment on your own.
Hey you! You over there! What if I told you, humans managed to create … intelligence without live tissue? It’s crazy, right? And you’d think this artificial intelligence can maybe find you pictures based on words and that’s it, but let me enlighten you: they can do so much more with words! Like my friend here, Rudy, the AI painter. He and the others would like to meet you sometime, maybe at the Ars Electronica Festival. Rudy will be there, painting and you could join in the fun too by dropping by and giving them suggestions for the next big artworks of the century.

ARTificial Intelligence Lab (AILab): The European ARTificial Intelligence Lab is strongly focused on the legal, cultural, educational, and ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence. It centers human values as well as elementary questions on what AI should or should not do, as well as how and by whom AI systems are developed, deployed, used, and monitored. From the perspective of 13 major cultural operators in Europe Ars Electronica, Center for Promotion of Science, Zaragoza City of Knowledge Foundation, Laboral, Kapelica Gallery, Science Gallery Dublin, Onassis Cultural Center, The Culture Yard / clickfestival, GLUON, Hexagone Scène Nationale Arts Sciences, SOU Festival, le lieu unique, Waag) , and led by Ars Electronica, the AI LAB centers visions, expectations and fears we associate with a future, all-encompassing artificial intelligence. While industries are investing into cutting-edge technologies to develop intelligent systems, we are connecting artists with research institutions and scientists to fill a gap in dealing with the social components and political questions arising from these enormous technological advances. An extensive program of activities addressing different target groups at various experience levels was carried out and will be continued until the end of the project.

Credits

This project is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport in the framework
of the European ARTificial Intelligence Lab.