AI and International Cultural Relations: Blessing or Curse? | Discussion of the ifa Study

Read and download the study: https://culturalrelations.ifa.de/en/r...

Summary and online discussion of the ifa study “Artificial Intelligence and International Cultural Relations: Challenges and Opportunities for Cross-Sector Collaboration” by Octavio Kulesz on 9th July 2024.

***
Speakers:
- Octavio Kulesz, Philosopher, Digital Publisher, Director of Teseo and Expert of ifa’s Research Programme “Culture and Foreign Policy”
- Amy Sample Ward (they/them), CEO of NTEN
- Martin Rauchbauer, Former Tech Ambassador of Austria to Silicon Valley, Founder & Co-Director of Tech Diplomacy Network

Moderator: Luba Elliott, Curator, Producer, and Researcher in AI

***
The swift development and adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies -- such as ChatGPT by OpenAI, to name one -- have profoundly impacted various aspects of social life at a global and unprecedented scale. Institutions and practitioners working in international cultural relations can do more beyond monitoring the proper use of AI tools. They play a pivotal role in shaping and guiding the development and underlying rationales of AI in its different forms, notwithstanding generative AI.

What does AI have to do with culture? How does international cultural relations impact the development of AI and vice versa? What role can stakeholders in international cultural relations play in making the development of AI systems more participatory? What narratives and tensions are playing out among stakeholders in the nexus of AI and culture? How can cross-sectoral collaboration between the tech and cultural sectors be established?

In light of the upcoming UN Summit of the Future in September 2024, this research introduces the topic of AI and its possible geopolitical, cultural and societal impact. The research results of this study may feed into the one of the outcomes of the Summit the Global Digital Compact on science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation to support an open, free and secure digital future.

***
Find out more about this topic and discover other publications at the Forum for International Cultural Relations: https://culturalrelations.ifa.de.

***
Photo Credits: An artist's illustration of artificial intelligence (AI). This image visualises the benefits and flaws of large language models. Photo: Tim West/Google Deep Mind via Pexels.