2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference official

The Two AIs: Artificial Intelligence and Artistic Intelligence forum, organized by the China Academy of Art, was held on Saturday in Shanghai. As an essential part of the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2024), the forum attracted scholars, artists and technical experts from around the globe to explore the deep integration of artificial intelligence and art.

This forum delved into the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and artistic intelligence and also showcased the achievements of the China Academy of Art in promoting interdisciplinary integration and industry-academia research collaboration.

"AI's threat to humanity still comes from humans themselves. Artificial intelligence is not designed to mimic humans, nor to replace them. It has its own future, which is diverse and open," said Gao Shiming, president of the China Academy of Art.

Gao emphasized that the more advanced AI becomes, the more humanity needs artistic intelligence.

The China Academy of Art announced its continued commitment to collaborating with various sectors of society to explore new paths for high-quality development, contributing to the sustainable development of AI globally.

Professor Zhang Zheng, director of Amazon Web Services' (AWS) Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Lab, discussed the challenges of artistic creation in the era of large models, highlighting the importance of critical thinking.

"Compared to AI, humans are driven by an innate curiosity that allows us to think more deeply and explore broader unknown territories. The key is to cultivate critical thinking," Zhang noted.

Other speakers addressed the symbiotic relationship between art and technology from a historical perspective, pointing out the current lack of artistic context in AI-generated works. 

Some examined AI as a new medium, stressing the importance of balance and creative control. Others argued for the need to maintain human individuality in the AI era and cautioned against over-reliance on AI technology.