What role should we assign to the machines in the context of artistic creation? Can the legal systems accept a new definition of creativity that looks at Artificial Intelligence as a creative agent?

Based on these reflections, Braga Media Arts and the Institut Français present the conference ‘On Art, Agency and Artificial Intelligence’ (November 9, at 3 p.m. at gnration). Blending the practical duality of composer, designer, and researcher Matthias Puech and the vision of philosopher and researcher Morgan Morcel, the session divides into two moments of reflection that uncover the link between Artificial Intelligence algorithms and artistic creation methods.

In the first moment, Morgan Morcel introduces the session with his presentation ‘Machine as creator?’, focusing on the legal recognition of the machine as a creative agent. Starting from the conceptual definition of creativity, the philosopher proposes the term ‘mechanical creativity’ and questions the new legal approach to human creativity considering the role of generative artificial intelligence in copyright law.

This discussion leads to a second moment: a roundtable, moderated by researcher and curator Ana Carvalho, which brings together French artist Matthias Puech and the previously mentioned philosopher to discuss the use of technology as a creative engine in the contemporary art scene, evoking Matthias' practices in the areas of musical aesthetics and technical design, and Morgan's in philosophy, law, history, aesthetics and metaphysics.

During his visit to Braga, Matthias Puech will also present the performance ‘Créature’, on November 8 at 9:30 p.m. at gnration; and will lead the masterclass ‘BMA lab: Inventing music, creating instruments’, as part of Circuito - Braga Media Arts Educational Service, on November 9 at 10:30 a.m. at gnration. Learn more about each of these activities at www.bragamediaarts.com and www.gnration.pt/en/.