Outsourcing inspiration. The future of art in the age of AI

Talk — ReA! Art Fair 2026, Fabbrica del Vapore, Milano Friday 23 October 2026 18:00–19:00 Outsourcing inspiration. The future of art in the age of AI Moderator: Maryna Rybakova Speakers: Birgit Hoff (Independent Art Expert, Producer of Auveld) Percy Oliver Mueller (CTO Artsted LLC) A great artwork has always been an accumulation of factors: skill, experience, context, chance. AI is reshuffling that equation. When an image can be generated in seconds, the question shifts from who made it to who prompted it, and from craft to selection. Are curators becoming the new artists? Is art still rooted in skill, or has the decisive act moved to the choosing? A deeper question concerns inspiration itself. When artists turn to AI for ideas, what happens to their relationship with personal experience, imagination and the world around them? Does AI widen that relationship, or does it create a closed loop where generated images become the inspiration for more generated images? A patron of the arts and a technologist bring two very different vantage points: one from collecting and supporting artists, the other from building the tools that are reshaping creative work. Expect disagreement, concrete examples and open questions rather than easy answers. The session closes with an open Q&A. Artists in the audience are especially encouraged to bring their questions.