Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are having a major impact on the entire value chain in countless sectors. Culture and media are no exception. In these fields, as elsewhere, “AI technologies can provide great services to humanity […] but […] also raise fundamental ethical concerns”.

Bias, discrimination, inequality, exclusion, censorship and homogenization are risks frequently evoked to formulate general warnings, to which are added risks specific to the culture and media sectors. For several years now, commercial applications and tools – notably the powerful recommendation algorithms used by major content distribution platforms and social media – have been a source of concern for defenders of cultural diversity and pluralism.

Now, conversational tools and AI-generated works are also raising questions about the nature of art, creativity and writing. They are also generating new concerns about the role of the artist, the creator, the journalist. The prospect of their replacement is raised. The fascination engendered by certain award-winning works, produced by AI or with its help, does nothing to calm minds.

But, in many ways, AI is also a source of opportunity for culture and the media. Some people prefer to speak of “augmented artists”, rather than “robot artists”. Far from being limited to the creator, AI also stimulates the potential of the producer, distributor and broadcaster. Its benefits also reach the public.

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