Beyond the Tool: Rethinking Authorship and Artistic Agency in the Age of AI
Marcin Nowicki (Warsaw, Poland) presents a talk on the role of the artist in collaboration with autonomous or semi-autonomous AI systems
As artificial intelligence systems increasingly shape artistic practices, they challenge long-standing authorship, agency, and creativity concepts. This talk explores the shifting role of the artist in collaboration with autonomous or semi-autonomous AI systems, drawing from both philosophical and practice-based perspectives. Tracing a trajectory from early conceptions of AI to contemporary generative tools, I examine how art made with and through AI reveals new epistemological and aesthetic paradigms.
In addition to philosophical and creative questions, I will address emerging ethical and legal challenges surrounding AI-generated art. While the U.S. and Europe offer different legal frameworks, both regions operate within a largely undefined grey zone regarding authorship, intellectual property, and creative responsibility questions. These unresolved tensions call for a rethinking of legal categories and the cultural assumptions underlying them.
By analyzing examples of collaborative artworks and reflecting on my creative practice, I propose that AI is no longer just a medium or tool but an active participant in the creative process—redefining the boundaries of authorship and calling for a broader ontological rethinking of the artwork itself.
This event in sponsored by the Office of the Provost.