AI Art Newsletter - 15 Jan 2025
AI Art Newsletter - January 15, 2025
Artist Finds Creative Potential in AI Imperfections
Charlie Engman is making waves in the art world with his unique approach to AI-generated art, finding inspiration in the system’s mistakes rather than seeking technical perfection. His work represents a shift away from conventional “internet nerd culture” imagery, demonstrating how AI’s limitations can become opportunities for artistic expression. Read more
Netflix’s AI Controversies Continue
Netflix faces renewed criticism over its AI implementation, particularly regarding AI-upscaled images in a true crime documentary and AI-expanded artwork for Arcane Season 2. These incidents highlight growing concerns about transparency and attribution in AI-modified content within the entertainment industry. Read more
Metal Meets AI: Pestilence’s Album Art Debate
Veteran death metal band Pestilence’s frontman Patrick Mameli continues to defend their use of AI-generated artwork for their March 2024 retrospective album “Levels of Perception,” sparking discussions about AI’s role in traditional metal aesthetics. Read more
Adobe’s “Controls Era” Development
Adobe’s VP Alexandru Costin hints at upcoming developments in AI art control features, potentially signaling new approaches to balancing traditional digital art with AI-generated content. Read more
Exhibitions & Competitions
AI-ARTS Competition - 3rd Edition
Date: September 13, 2024
- One winner and four second-place positions
- Permanent exhibition placement for selected artists
- Professional visibility and networking opportunities Learn more
Digital Renaissance Exhibition 2024
A traveling exhibition offering:
- Competitive selection process
- Multiple venue exposure
- Career development opportunities Learn more
ML in PL AI Art Festival 2024
Theme: “The Future Will Be Better Tomorrow”
- Focus on AI’s potential as an artistic tool
- Exploration of future perspectives
- Platform for AI-assisted artwork showcase Learn more
SOLO AI AWARD
Global digital/new media art competition featuring:
- Cash prizes
- Exhibition opportunities
- Open to artists 18+ Learn more
Academic & Institutional Updates
Ars Electronica Highlights
TIME OUT .13 Exhibition
Opening January 14, 2025 Featuring works from bachelor students in Time-Based and Interactive Media Art at the University of Art and Design Linz. Read more
STARTS Prize Africa Launch 2024
- Grand Prize: €15,000
- Five Awards of Distinction: €3,000 each
- Focus on social challenges and digital transformation Read more
AI Artists News
Refik Anadol
The Turkish-born professor and artist is making history with the development of a world-class AI museum in Los Angeles. This milestone represents growing institutional recognition of AI art, with Anadol serving as a bridge between technology and artistic expression.
Sougwen Chung
The former MIT Media Lab researcher has developed an innovative human-AI collaboration system trained on 20 years of their own artistic drawings. Their work is featured as part of London’s initiative to attract younger art collectors through emerging technologies.
Stephanie Dinkins
Dinkins, who holds the Kusama endowed chair in art at Stony Brook University’s College of Arts and Sciences, was selected as a speaker at the Provost’s Spotlight Talk to share her expertise on the intersection of AI and art.
Mario Klingemann & Botto
Klingemann’s “Botto” project, described as an “inverse cyborg” artist, has generated over $5 million since its 2021 launch. The autonomous AI art system combines blockchain technology with AI to create and sell artwork independently.
Trevor Paglen
| Featured in Aperture magazine’s Winter 2024 issue “Image Worlds to Come: Photography & AI,” Paglen’s work “CLOUD #557 | Hough Line Transform; Hough Circle Transform” (2023) explores computer vision algorithms. The piece was exhibited at Altman Siegel gallery in San Francisco. |
Dr. Joy Buolamwini
Buolamwini’s work continues to challenge AI bias through her “Gender Shades” project and the Algorithmic Justice League. Her approach combines poetry, visual art, and computer science to expose and address algorithmic bias in AI systems.
Recent LinkedIn Updates
Lida Zacharopoulou’s Post
A professional shares their achievement of winning the Best Artwork Prize at IEEE’s CVPR 2024 conference in Seattle for their AI-generated animated film “Digital No Man’s.” The artwork explores AI transparency and societal implications of AI technology. Throughout 2024, they participated in AI and Art panels, led workshops in Sofia, exhibited across Europe, and continued their data analytics work. The post authentically reflects on their accomplishments while discussing the intersection of art, technology, and data, concluding with plans for 2025. The content is relevant and informative, providing insights into AI art and technology developments in the field.
Daria Jelonek’s Post
The post describes an interactive art installation called “Meditative Cohabitation” showcased at silent green x transmediale in Berlin (January 9th, 2024). The artwork, funded by European Media Art Platform (EMAP), explores the relationship between technology and nature. It features a machine learning-powered sensor that detects bioacoustics from various species, transforming digital visuals based on 3D scans of a Brussels biotope. When animal sounds are detected, the display shows organic forms; when human noise is detected, it shifts to architectural shapes. The exhibition is part of “Unnatural Encounters” running until January 19th, 2024. More details at: https://lnkd.in/erxW4HSA
Libby Heaney’s Post
Artist Libby Heaney announces her artwork “Ent-er the Quantum Cyborg” will be displayed at Art SG Booth BC12 in Singapore through Gazelli Art House. While she won’t attend in person, she encourages Singapore-based connections to visit her colleagues at the booth. More details available at: https://lnkd.in/ePjhZaTY
Hui Chan’s Post
Hui Chan announces joining PAI Partners as a Principal in their UK team in London. This is a career update post sharing a new professional role and expressing interest in networking. The post is professional and relevant for LinkedIn’s platform.
Nathan Benaich’s Post
Nathan Benaich shares critical observations about the UK’s AI landscape, questioning why the country hasn’t produced major AI companies comparable to OpenAI or Anthropic despite its strong talent pool and research capabilities. He reflects on the delayed government policy response in AI development but expresses optimism about future government initiatives over the next 5 years. The post highlights the gap between the UK’s AI potential and its current position in the global AI race, while maintaining hope for positive change through government catalyzation.
Luba Elliott’s Post
Luba Elliott announces that Lida Zacharopoulou’s artwork “Digital No Man’s” was selected as one of three prize-winning pieces at CVPR 2024. The piece explores low-resolution synthetic creatures struggling with authenticity in an era of AI-generated imagery. The artwork can be viewed at: [https://lnkd.in/efeT2mPN]. The post provides valuable insight into AI art recognition at a major computer vision conference (CVPR 2024) while highlighting themes of artificial beings and human likeness.
Victor Riparbelli’s Post
Victor Riparbelli shares his optimistic view on the UK’s potential as an AI superpower, highlighting the UK Prime Minister’s launch of the AI Opportunities Action Plan and mentioning his company Synthesia. He outlines key advantages of the UK’s tech ecosystem, including available talent, capital markets, and less restrictive regulations compared to the EU. While the post has a promotional element for both the UK and his company (with a teaser for upcoming news), it provides relevant insights about the UK’s AI landscape and technology sector from the perspective of someone who has operated in the market for 8 years.
Alex Estorick’s Post
The post discusses the growing intersection of digital art and design in the contemporary art world. Alex Estorick wrote an article for Artforum International Magazine’s Technology column examining how Dunne & Raby’s model of critical and speculative design is influencing a new generation of artists who work with hybrid practices. The post acknowledges various institutions and individuals in the field, including the Royal College of Art, New Museum of Contemporary Art, and The MIT Press, among others. This appears to be a legitimate discussion of art and design trends rather than promotional content, with relevant hashtags related to art, design, technology, and speculative design.
Oonagh Murphy’s Post
Brief personal reflection expressing positive sentiment about Antwerp’s creative and entrepreneurial atmosphere, highlighting the city’s startup ecosystem and creative community. The post appears to be a genuine personal observation rather than promotional content.
Or, if you put them all together, my experience of the NIPS conference can be summarized as the image below. Read along if you prefer words, details and creative applications of AI.
This is a detailed personal account of attending the NIPS (Neural Information Processing Systems) 2016 conference. The author shares key highlights including:
Daghan Cam’s Post
Daghan Cam announces their presentation of Aibuild’s innovations at the Additive Manufacturing Strategies conference in NYC. The post discusses the intersection of AI and manufacturing, referencing recent statements by Sam Altman and Jensen Huang about AI agents joining the workforce in 2025. The post invites discussion on automation in manufacturing and the future of AM (Additive Manufacturing). While promotional in nature, it offers relevant industry insights and discussion points. Conference registration available at: [https://lnkd.in/es_x9Ybn]
Oonagh Murphy’s Post
Oonagh Murphy is seeking recommendations and networking opportunities during her upcoming trip to Los Angeles in May for the American Alliance of Museums conference. She’s specifically interested in connecting with professionals and visiting places focused on Art, AI, ML, Data, and Digital initiatives. As a first-time visitor to LA, she’s requesting both professional introductions and general recommendations to help determine her trip duration. The post is a genuine networking and knowledge-sharing request, not promotional content.
Eirini Malliaraki’s Post
Eirini Malliaraki announces her career transition from Deep Science Ventures (DSV) after three years to join Renaissance Philanthropy, where she’ll lead R&D translation efforts. At DSV, she supported 15+ deep tech ventures and developed AI agents for innovation. In her new role, she’ll work with ARIA (Advanced Research + Invention Agency) on the UK Horizons programme, focusing on climate emergency solutions. She seeks connections with individuals working on large-scale R&D programs and transformative deep tech initiatives, particularly those addressing challenges overlooked by traditional funding.
One week to go before our ART x TECH hackathon at Central Working Whitechapel. It’s time to release the challenges from our project partners Artfinder, Sedition, Vastari and Gitoon.
This post announces an upcoming ART x TECH hackathon at Central Working Whitechapel happening in one week, featuring challenges from four project partners:
Omar Sanseviero’s Post
On January 2024, Omar Sanseviero announced that AI Studio, Open Models Success, and Gemini API teams are joining Google DeepMind. He shares optimism for 2025, highlighting plans to accelerate development of accessible AI models and tools, ranging from phone-compatible models to cutting-edge research implementations. The post represents a significant industry movement and provides insight into Google DeepMind’s expansion in the open AI models space.
Zeeza Cole’s Post
Zeeza Cole announces joining Avid Ventures as a Partner, transitioning from her previous role at Bain Capital Ventures. Avid is a NYC-based fund specializing in Pre-Seed to Series A investments in software and fintech. She highlights Avid’s investment approach of making initial small investments with follow-on potential. Cole expresses gratitude for her 4+ years at Bain Capital Ventures and invites founders to connect via [email protected], LinkedIn, or X.
This weekend I organised Art Challenge - the ART x TECH hackathon, which saw art professionals, entrepreneurs, designers and developers join forces to build an arttech business from scratch in 24 hours. The event kicked off with an inspirational talk by Theodora Clarke from Russian Art and Culture,
The post details an ART x TECH hackathon event where art professionals, entrepreneurs, designers, and developers collaborated to create arttech businesses in 24 hours. The event featured:
Payal Arora’s Post
Professor Payal Arora shares news about being featured in the Dutch newspaper “de Volkskrant,” mentioning it includes photos by Eva Roefs and was written by Simoon Hermus. She expresses gratitude for how well the piece captured her perspective and notes she’s approaching her 50th birthday. The post tags Utrecht University and its associated institutions (Faculty of Humanities and Centre for Global Challenges).
Leslie Nooteboom’s Post
Leslie Nooteboom, a veteran AI startup founder, shares positive feedback about the UK government’s AI Action Plan. They specifically highlight the government’s commitment to supporting innovators and express hope that this initiative will help retain UK-based entrepreneurs who typically relocate to the US for growth opportunities. The post includes a link to more information about the plan: [https://lnkd.in/e8agy7-T]. The discussion is relevant to AI policy, startup ecosystems, and UK business retention.
World Economic Forum’s Post
The World Economic Forum post discusses the intersection of human creativity and AI at WEF25 in Davos. It highlights an upcoming exhibition featuring artists Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier and Sougwen Chung, who will explore how human intuition and creativity coexist with AI-generated art. The post links to an article by Joseph Fowler for more details [https://lnkd.in/gZc6EB3k]. The discussion focuses on the unique value of human creative input as machines become increasingly capable of generating various forms of art, music, and literature.
Cailean Osborne’s Post
Speaker announcement for European Open Source Academy’s first webinar on open source AI in Europe and policy priorities. Event details: January 15th, 2025 at 14:00 CET via Zoom. Registration available at https://lnkd.in/dmaC3s6N. The webinar precedes the inaugural Open Source Awards Ceremony.
India Science Festival’s Post
Announcement for an upcoming AI-focused fireside chat featuring Prof. Payal Arora and Laura Herman, moderated by Dr. Krishna Ravi Srinivas. The discussion will focus on AI literacy, fairness, diversity, and making AI more accessible and inclusive for communities. The event takes place on January 11-12, 2025, at Fergusson College, Pune. Registration available at: https://lnkd.in/gVuAKVET
Inclusive AI Lab’s Post
The Inclusive AI Lab announces their participation in the India Science Festival in Pune, featuring co-founders Laura Herman and Payal Arora. The festival, with 20K participants, aligns with their mission of making AI accessible. Their AI co-lead Siddhi Gupta will conduct a Debiasing Data workshop. Interested participants can register at https://lnkd.in/eyWArMa4. For updates on future engagements, they invite people to sign up for their quarterly newsletter at https://lnkd.in/eqC5rVdV. The lab is affiliated with Utrecht University’s Faculty of Humanities and Centre for Global Challenges (UGlobe). While promotional in nature, the post contains valuable information about a significant AI-focused event and educational opportunity.
Luba Elliott’s Post
Luba Elliott reviews the book “Hands-On Generative AI with Transformers and Diffusion Models” by Omar Sanseviero, Pedro Cuenca, Apolinário Passos, and Jonathan Whitaker. She praises the book’s comprehensive explanations and practical guidance for working with transformers and diffusion models. The post includes a photo of her with co-author Apolinário Passos from their time at the Glitch Art & AI residency earlier in the year. The book is available at: [https://bit.ly/41DFdZH]. While promotional in nature, the post offers genuine personal insight and experience with both the book and one of its authors, making it relevant to those interested in AI and machine learning.
Caterina Moruzzi’s Post
A call for votes to support an AI-focused meet-up proposal for SXSW London 2025. The proposal aims to address meaningful questions about AI’s purpose, utility, and implementation beyond the hype. The post mentions collaboration with several individuals and the BRAID UK program. Voting deadline is December 19th. More information available at: https://lnkd.in/g4SjidKM
Memo Akten’s Post
This post describes an art installation called “Superradiance” by Memo Akten & Katie Peyton Hofstadter at Taikang Art Museum, Beijing. The artwork explores how dance and movement create connections between humans and their environment through embodied simulation. The installation aims to create an immersive experience that helps viewers feel their interconnectedness with living and non-living systems. The project website is available at https://superradiance.net. While the post does promote an artwork, it provides substantive discussion about the scientific and philosophical concepts behind the piece, including embodied simulation and human-environment relationships, making it relevant content rather than pure promotion.
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