Art is Dead: Long Live the Artist – Creativity in the Times of AI

For over a century, the “death of art” has been repeatedly anticipated. From the invention of photography in the late 19th century to the rise of mass printing, digital illustration, NFTs, and now artificial intelligence, each wave of technological innovation has raised existential questions about the future of artistic practice.

This panel, “Art is Dead: Long Live the Artist,” seeks to critically explore the historical and contemporary tensions between artistic innovation and emerging technologies. It argues that technology has never truly undermined traditional art forms; rather, artists have consistently transformed perceived technological threats into opportunities for experimentation and subversion.

The discussion will investigate how the ever-evolving nature of technology mirrors the very essence of artistic creativity—fluid, adaptive, and boundary-pushing. This shared mutability makes technology particularly well-suited to alternative forms of expression, enabling artists to subvert conventions, challenge dominant aesthetics, and amplify marginalized voices through new platforms and modes of engagement. Panelists are invited to reflect on how artists have not only endured, but often flourished, by turning technological disruption into a tool for both critical inquiry and creative expansion. At the heart of this inquiry lies a pressing question: what new forms of authorship, authenticity, or resistance emerge when artists collaborate with machines?

Our panel aims to critically examine the historical interplay between technological innovation and artistic practice and to explore how contemporary artists engage with emerging technologies not only as creative tools but also as a means of generating critical dialogue.

Submit your Paper via this form. Please download, complete and send it directly to the Session Convenor(s) below by Sunday 2 November 2025:

Kanwal Syed, American University in Dubai, ksyed@aud.edu