The digital artwork ‘Image Empire’ is set to launch at The National Videogame Museum later this evening, and asks if AI is transforming creativity or quietly replacing it.
With over nine months in the making, ‘Image Empire’ focuses on the impact AI is having on creative industries up and down the country, through the lens of image making and video games production.
Artist and researcher, Dr Alan Warburton was the mastermind behind the piece, seeking the artwork to “generate meaningful arts-industry-led dialogue amongst anyone working professionally or creatively with games VR, or software-based media.”
Having worked in animation and visual effects since 2010, Dr Warburton’s engagement with AI has grown gradually over ten years.
He said: “Instead of watching AI from afar, I actually try and use the tools and find out what they can do, and I critique them and I share that critique in my video essays.
“I do identify that there are ways that it’s being introduced that are not particularly kind, or considerate, or intelligent, and can effect creative industries in really bad ways.”
Dr Warburton described the artwork as a three-minute animated film on the rapid expansion of AI technologies across the world, reflecting the blurring boundary between the real and virtual.
He said: “The project is an animated folk tale in the tradition of the 20th century public information film that tried to raise awareness and understanding of diseases, road safety, food hygiene or civil defence risks.
“Image Empire tries to do the same for our age of contemporary AI-generated media.”
The artwork is unique in being one of the first art commissions designed for release on the platform LinkedIn, seeking to start a conversation with creators.
Image Empire has been created in collaboration with The National Videogame Museum, the Open Data Institute, and with commissioners The Space and Cambridge University’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence.
The National Videogame Museum is the UK’s only museum dedicated to video games.
John O’Shea, the Creative Director & Co-Ceo of the museum said: “The National Videogame Museum is honoured to commission Image Empire – a pioneering new digital artwork.”
Image Empire is available to see free of charge at The National Videogame Museum from 6pm today, with a panel discussion, and networking event.