Policy Corner – A first reflection on policy needs

At the Design & AI – Shaping the future(s) symposium TU Delft organised a Policy Corner to provide input to the AI policy work within ekip.

The Policy Corner segment at the symposium was instrumental in structuring discussions and generating concrete policy needs . The Policy Corner was a valuable step towards understanding the intersections between CCIs and AI and emerging areas for policy recommendations

The next phase will involve processing the outcomes of this event, as well as gathering inputs from various stakeholders, including AI specialists and CCIs professionals.

Forum for experts, practitioners, and enthusiasts

The workshop on AI and the creative and cultural industries in Delft provided a forum for experts, practitioners, and enthusiasts to engage in meaningful discussions about the potential of AI in CCIs.

During the workshop the participants were asked to form groups around a canvas with either “good future” (utopian) or “bad future” (dystopian) written on it. Together with moderators they brainstormed in each scenario.

“AI can impact art and culture a lot, and vice versa. This workshop aimed to figure out the good and bad things about this connection and what it means for both. We want to understand the risks, opportunities also the consequences for the use of AI within this industry” says Leon van Klaveren, Project Manager at Delft Design Innovation & Impact Team TU Delft, who moderated parts of the workshop.

Bridging the gap

One group discussed the skills we need for both AI and creative work. It’s not just about understanding AI but also about gaining new skills for a more efficient creative process. The discussion focused on bridging the gap between those who know how to use AI and have creative skills and those who don’t.

“We should make AI tools available to more people and also teaching kids about AI in school. We need a curriculum for both primary and secondary schools to help kids understand what AI can do and how to use it responsibly”, Alexandre Lotito summarized the groups thoughts. He is a senior consultant for the Brussels office of Technopolis Group a partner in ekip, specialised in the analysis and evaluation of public policies.

Another group discussed that design could be the perfect center point to reach beyond disciplines. As a vital puzzle piece or a glue holding things together. The conversation explored the need to understand AI and how design can be the right approach to make sense of it. However, there is also a particular concern about the design industry rapidly adopting AI tools without a thorough understanding of their implications.

“AI can impact art and culture a lot, and vice versa. This workshop aimed to figure out the good and bad things about this connection and what it means for both”, says Leon van Klaveren, Project Manager at Delft Design Innovation & Impact Team TU Delft, who moderated parts of the workshop.

A valuable step

Jeroen van der Aa was one of the organisers of the event and a project manager EU Research & Innovation Collaboration at TU Delft, a partner in ekip.

What was your expectation of the Policy Corner?

“ Actually, by having quite some experts or at least informed people on being active in AI, it gave a more high level, more in-depth knowledge on further development of AI for the CCIs”.

The input of the Policy Corner could wield substantial influence on the formulation of innovation policies by the European Commission. These policies are vital not only for fostering growth within the cultural and creative sectors but also for also for creating a stronger position for the sectors.

“The workshop was a valuable step towards understanding the possibilities of AI in CCIs and generating actionable policy recommendations. The next phase will involve processing the outcomes of this event, as well as gathering inputs from various stakeholders, including AI specialists and CCIs professionals”, says Jeroen van der Aa.

Reflection on policy areas

ekip wants to be a network of network and piggyback across Europe with this plug-in model of Policy Corner.

“It will take a lot of effort to create our own network, so it’s not the intention. We want to capitalize on already existing events. And so far I´m very pleased with what came out of our workshop in Delft”, says Jeroen van der Aa.

The main aim of the activity developed in the Policy Corner has been to set the stage for a first reflection on policy areas. There will be a suite of different inputs, comprising a combination of data gathered from the AI and CCI sector to the next level, which will be a Policy Lab. The workshop in Delft is just one of the sources together with collecting input from other ekip partners around Europe.

“We’re going to share important ideas at a Policy Lab in Brussels organized by our friends from Technopolis Group and IDEA Consult in January. The suggestions we provide could seriously affect how Europe steers towards a more vibrant, creative, and technologically advanced future”, Jeroen van der Aa explains.

Future Policy Labs will aim to provide concrete policy recommendations. The inclusion of individuals with deep expertise in AI and creative sectors will be crucial to ensuring the effectiveness of these recommendations. The need for creative thinking, provocative ideas, and a deep understanding of the values and desires of those within CCIs will be help shaping the future of AI.