Artificial intelligence was a key theme at DW’s 2019 Global Media Forum in Bonn – the opportunities and risks that it presents, and its pervasive presence in every part of our lives. The arts are no exception, and with complex fields like music composition, film direction, and even visual arts increasingly influenced by algorithms and machine learning, the question of whether AI can ever trump human creativity is the subject of much debate.

But what values or biases might it incorporate into the creative fields? Should we be worried AI will get the better of our artistic consciousness? What constitutes art, and to what extent does the word “creativity” apply to works generated by machines?

Our Arts.21 panel brought together five experts – Ethiopian tech pioneer Betelhem Dessie; Indian artist and curator Raghava KK; London-based filmmaker Karen Palmer; author and Vice President of the Frankfurt Book Fair Holger Volland, and the German philosopher Markus Gabriel – to discuss the potential impact of AI on human culture and the arts.