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The Art + AI Platform Transdisciplinary Art-Based Research&Dialogue on AI Ethics

The Art+AI Platform is a collective of artists, social and artificial intelligence (AI) scientists run by AI Impact Alliance. It includes an Art-Science Residency / Lab, as well as a web application at the junction of a virtual gallery and an interactive magazine. Publications and artistic creations are shared on the web application which is a space to share interdisciplinary perspectives on AI. It allies the expertise of research, creatives and civil society. The content is curated to discover AI and new technologies’ ethical and social implications through the Arts . Art+AI is a Digital Inclusion initiative inspiring a leap toward Sustainable Futures. To join our Art + AI Collectiv, please fill out this form.

The platform integrates immersive experiences, collaborative documentaries and a virtual art gallery where artists, leaders, critical thinkers, change makers share vibrant dialogues and critical perspectives on AI.

In October 2020, the project was awarded support by the Montreal Arts Council. Crowdfunding during the 3rd edition of AI on a Social Mission, November 18th and 19th 2020, raised an additional 15 000$, thanks to our 2020 speakers, all those who bought tickets (ranging from 25$ to 500$), as well as special thanks for Borealis AI and Microsoft. The exciting early stages of development of the Art + AI platform, including both the application (immersive and interactive virtual gallery) and the interactive web based magazine, has been made possible thanks to the Applied Perception Lab led by Martha Kersten-Oertel, at Concordia University and seed funding from the Canada Council for the Arts.

The platform is designed to facilitate engagement with artists and cultural workers on AI’s potential. Through interactive functions, citizens will be able to explore the works of artists such as images, voices and video, leave feedback and receive replies. *The app reached the beta version. The AR/VR augmented space is designed to support sharing of resources, knowledge and contribute to a collective envisioning of our futures. With the support of our new partners, Art + AI will strengthen a growing collective of artists, amplifies their voices on AI, and facilitates the discoverability of cultural initiatives exploring AI through a diverse scope of practices.

With your support, we look forward to furthering our collaborations with our vibrant network of artists, thought leaders and researchers in Canada and around the world.

This project is lead by Valentine Goddard, a lawyer, mediator, inter-arts curator and artist. She is the founder and executive director of AI Impact Alliance, an independent non-profit organization operating globally, whose mission is to facilitate an ethical and responsible implementation of artificial intelligence. AI Impact Alliance has a deep network in the field of the Arts, AI and AI Governance here in Canada and around the world.

She is a member of the United Nations Expert Groups on "The Role of Public Institutions in the Transformative Impact of New Technologies", and on a “Socially just transition towards sustainable development: The role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all”. Ms. Goddard sits on several committees related to the ethical and social impact of AI, contributing to public policy recommendations related to the ethical and normative framework of AI, while being regularly invited to speak at international conferences.

In her multidisciplinary and applied approach to the ethics of AI, she places special emphasis on human dignity, having initiated throughout her career cultural and social mediation projects for human rights education. She is the author of the Art Impact AI Report which underscores the vital role the arts have in determining how much benefit AI will bring to society. She is an elected board member of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Using GANS to interpret text to image, Goddard has created a series of Algorithmic Art pieces that interrogate biases in the resulting visual interpretation, augmenting artists' voices on AI, and illustrate sometimes political, sometimes poetic algorithmic outcomes.
The Art + AI platform integrates both academic research, action and arts-based research, critical design, traditional and digital art using or interrogating AI's every dimensions.

The Art + AI platform emphasizes the key role the Arts have in the future of AI.

Artists, cultural workers and creatives leaders can, and are:

• Contributing to the Transparency of AI by facilitating an ongoing informed, inclusive dialogue about AI and its implications for all communities.

• Helping citizens understand algorithmic logic and the implications of AI technologies, both potential and risks, and envision our futures.

• Acting as a driving force towards informed and legitimate AI policies, and contribute to democratic processes in the adoption of ethical and regulatory guidelines about AI’s development and governance.

• Assisting the progress of a societal growth that is necessary to keep up with the rapid implementation of AI in everyday applications. For example, the most important skills of the future are creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration.

• Shaping the use of AI towards improvements in human rights by engaging diverse publics on issues such as gender bias, racial profiling, surveillance.

The recommendations in the Art Impact Report resulted in international public policies underscoring the important role of the Arts in Digital Governance.

Drop me a line if you'd like to receive a link to these publications.

Please contact Valentine Goddard to the Art + AI Platform. We are actively seeking partnerships, donations and sponsorships to develop the interactive web application, and/or support the selected Art + AI Lab / Residency projects.