AI: Artificial Intelligence

Never before has a technology grown so fast and made its way so directly into our lives. Artificial intelligence is both worrying and fascinating. It is a threat and it generates opportunities. It has detractors and defenders. In this context of public conversation and collective dependence of AI—can we make decisions without its assistance?—the exhibition suggests that we stop, try to understand artificial intelligence and start a debate about its development in the coming years.

The exhibition looks at the role of artificial intelligence in everyday life, the opportunities it presents for scientific and biomedical research, the role of supercomputing as a major driving force, the present legislative situation, the risks of misinformation posed by its widespread use, and the racial and gender biases it can generate.

With a layout that includes interactive artistic installations, a timeline with milestones, key works created using AI, the testimony of experts and newly created pieces, the exhibition explores the relationship between artificial intelligence and human creativity. Taking part is a whole network of pioneering and upcoming artists such as Universal Everything, Robert del Naja (Massive Attack), Anna Ridler, Memo Akten, Mario Klingemann, Justine Emard, Steve Goodman (Kode 9), Espronceda, Eduard Escoffet and Maria Arnal, as well as research and innovation centres such as the BSC-NCS, the Music Technology Group at the UPF, the CVC and the MIT.

The visit allows us to experiment with AI in person by means of 25 interactive installations: smell the flowers of a tree that went extinct last century or put a voice to a musical composition created using AI.

Artificial Intelligence is coproduced by the CCCB and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center–Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS), based on the original touring exhibition curated and organized by the Barbican Centre in London (2019). The exhibition at the CCCB coincides with the arrival at the BSC of one of Europe’s most powerful supercomputers, the MareNostrum 5, a computer that expands and speeds up the ability to conduct research using artificial intelligence.

Scientific advisor:Jordi Torres
Curators of the original exhibition at the Barbican Centre in London: Suzanne Livingston, Maholo Uchida, Luke Kemp. With the support of Marie-Charlotte Carrier and Anna Holsgrove