Dr. Alfredo Cramerotti, director of the Media Majlis Museum, hosted a conversation on art and media with artist and scholar Hadeer Omar.

This talk explores how AI is evolving from a tool to a companion in our digital and creative journeys, and how we find ourselves both shaping and being shaped by these systems. Considering time-based media, creative processes, and archival research, the conversation will discuss the hidden layers of how machines populate our world—calculating, assembling, and even thinking – while exploring the delicate balance of influence between human and artificial intelligence.

1. From tool to companion: An artist’s practice nowadays often integrates technology and interactive media. At what point does AI move beyond being a tool and become something more, like an active collaborator?

2. AI & personal narrative: If we think about themes of memory and cultural identity, how do you see AI reshaping personal and collective storytelling? Does it introduce new layers of meaning, or does it risk flattening nuance?

3. Archival research & machine learning: When you engage with archival materials, how do you navigate the role of AI in uncovering hidden narratives within archives? Can it offer insights that human researchers might miss?

4. Time & perception in AI-generated media: Time-based media like film, video, and performance, require an understanding of temporality and narrative. How does AI, which operates on patterns and probabilities, often generating unexpected results, fit into this dynamic? Can it truly grasp or even generate meaningful temporal experiences?

5. The aesthetic of the machine: AI-generated visuals, soundscapes, and interactions have a distinct aesthetic. By this I mean that much of AI's work happens behind the scenes – processing data, making decisions, and generating outputs that feel seamless. How can we, as cultural practitioners, approach the tension between maintaining artistic authorship, or a conscious de-authoring, and embracing the machine’s unpredictability?

6. Ethical & cultural considerations: In general, AI’s presence in art and curation raises ethical questions like bias, authorship, and even the role of human intuition. How can we navigate these concerns in our respective fields?And as an artist working between human expression and machine intelligence, how do you ensure that AI tools respect cultural context, personal histories, and ethical considerations in your work?

7. Future possibilities: Looking ahead, how do we see AI evolving in the realm of media arts? What are the possibilities (or limitations) that excite or concern us most for the future of creative and curatorial practices? Will AI’s role be one of augmentation, autonomy, or something entirely unexpected?