AI and creativity

Creativity is seen as a uniquely human quality but with generative AI, does this mean a core human facet is under threat? Machines can generate art, music, literature and apparently many of us can’t tell the difference between human or machine creativity.

While creatives globally fear cuts to earnings and jobs, new technology is now another face-off. And what of authorship and privacy? Are creative humans still relevant or is generative AI an overhype?  

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Chair: Maggie Chapman MSP, Scotland’s Futures Forum

Panellists:

Professor Frauke Zeller is joining the University of Edinburgh in August 2024 as chair and professor in design informatics, and co-director of the Institute of Design Informatics, having previously been at Edinburgh Napier University and Toronto Metropolitan University. Her research expertise includes methods for big data analyses in audience analytics, AI ethics and human-computer and robot interaction. She has worked in the Institute of Media and Communication Studies at Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany. Frauke is also the co-creator of Canada’s first hitchhiking robot – hitchBOT and since then, she has been working on a range of human-robot interaction and AI-related projects. 

Rosie Castle is campaigns manager at Edinburgh International Festival. She works across the International Festival's marketing channels to promote this celebration of world-class performing arts. Ahead of August, she participated in the Classical: NEXT conference in Berlin, joining a panel discussion about AI.

Michelle Thomson MSP had a long career prior to entering politics, encompassing music, IT, financial services and research. She was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2021 and sits on the Finance & Public Administration and Economy and Fair Work Committees. Michelle is also convener of the Cross-Party Group on Music. She was previously an MP and sat on the BEIS Select Committee.