Do Humans Dream of Creative Machines? @University of Pisa

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In December 2019 — unaware of the approaching pandemic and the rapid developments that would soon unfold in the field of artificial intelligence — we at KRINO organized a panel discussion and a workshop under the title “Do Humans Dream of Creative Machines?”.

At the time I was in China, having just completed a study period at Zhejiang University of Science and Technology and exploring collaborations with local startups in Hangzhou and Shanghai. I returned to Italy specifically for the event, not knowing that I would end up being stuck there for nearly three years.

Back then, chatbots had yet to reach their current level of sophistication, and the term “GPT” was virtually unknown to the general public. Artificial intelligence was still seen as something distant, complex, elusive, and vaguely menacing. Meanwhile, the media began reporting with increasing frequency on the latest achievements of AI, portraying algorithms as entities capable of engaging in complex and creative tasks (from solving strategic games to producing art) with almost human-like intention.

The key questions driving our event were: Are computers really acquiring traits that resemble human qualities, such as imagination and creativity? Or are we simply projecting human identities onto them?

The panel, which I moderated in my role as President of KRINO, sought to unpack these questions—debunking common myths and offering an alternative narrative of artificial intelligence. The discussion featured contributions from Maurizio Parton, Simone Pieranni, Anna Monreale, and Davide Bacciu.

Following the panel discussion, a masterclass on livecoding and algorithmic processes in the arts was held, curated by Umanesimo Artificiale.

The masterclass introduced computer programming as an artistic and performative language, with a focus on the livecoding movement and two widely used open-source platforms in the global community: TidalCycles (for music livecoding) and Hydra (for visual livecoding). Participants were guided by multimedia artist Nesso in exploring the creative potential of these tools, experimenting firsthand with visual generation using simple mathematical functions. The session concluded with an audiovisual performance, giving attendees the opportunity to apply the concepts they had learned in a live context.

The event was financed by University of Pisa, as part of the activities “Algorithms and Data: Social, Biopolitical and Communicative Dynamics” and “Algorithms and Data: A Philosophical and Cultural Perspective”. It also received the official patronage of the Digital Culture Laboratory (LabCD).