At the congress “Artificial Intelligence and Culture: Convergences and Divergences” I had the opportunity to address a central question: “Can Artificial Intelligence understand the spirit of our times—often referred to as the Zeitgeist—and create Culture?” This question allowed me to reflect on the vital topic of convergence between art and technology, a relationship that goes far beyond mere imitation or technical partnership. Instead, it reveals an extraordinary cultural and economic potential that deserves our full attention.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its current form is, above all, a powerful analytical tool. Platforms like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and creative tools like DALL-E and Midjourney demonstrate daily how AI captures the signals of our time, revealing patterns that might otherwise remain hidden. However, beyond this ability to observe, the real question is whether AI can innovate, create, and contribute to culture in the same way as a human artist – or at least participate actively in cultural production.
In my view, AI should be seen not as an autonomous creator but as a “cultural agent” capable of enriching and transforming the creative process. It serves as a collaborative partner that opens up new artistic horizons. For example, artists using Midjourney or DALL-E leverage AI to push the boundaries of their imagination, exploring new styles and forms they may not have considered on their own. This collaboration broadens access to art, democratizing its influence well beyond limited circles. It empowers artists to reach larger audiences, evoke emotions, and spark dialogues on a global scale, ultimately reshaping cultural and aesthetic standards.
This synergy between art and technology, however, is not new. It aligns with a long historical tradition in which art has constantly evolved in tandem with technical innovations. From the workshops (botteghe) of the Italian Renaissance, where painters mastered both artistic knowledge and workshop techniques, to the cybernetic explorations of Nicolas Schöffer in the 1960s, art and technology have always coexisted, feeding off each other to transcend the limitations of their time.
Economically, this convergence between art and technology holds enormous potential. The creative industry, driven by AI technologies, opens new avenues for investment, job creation, and the development of novel markets. Digital platforms enabling artists to collaborate with AI are transforming the economic models of art, enabling unique valuation of works, concepts, and artistic experiences. As businesses, cultural institutions, and startups are increasingly investing in integrating AI into creative processes, thus creating a hybrid economy where technology and human creativity coexist to stimulate growth.
Beyond the purely economic aspect, this collaboration also enriches the user experience, offering diverse visual and stylistic options and blurring the notion of authorship: is it the artist, the programmer, or the algorithm itself that deserves credit? This question of attribution opens a fascinating debate on ownership and intellectual property in an era where creations result from complex interactions between human intention and machine execution.
In conclusion, AI is not merely a tool but a gateway to a more accessible culture deeply connected to today’s issues. It transforms the relationship between the artist and their audience, between the work and its creator, while opening unprecedented economic and cultural perspectives. Through the interaction of art and technology, we see a world emerging where creation becomes collective, enriched by human intelligence and amplified by technological innovation. This alliance invites us to reimagine the future of culture as a dynamic space of dialogue and discovery, where AI, far from being a threat, acts as a creative companion and enhancer of human emotions and values.
Benoît Dubuis
