On October 26, 2023 the Rhode Island Israel Collaborative (RIIC) in collaboration with the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Venture Café, Providence held an in-person event at Venture Café, Providence, RI, AI and Art from 4:30 to 8:00 pm. The event was attended by more than 110 participants with standing room only.
The program, which was dedicated to exploring the relationship between artificial intelligence and the world of creativity was held in a series of sessions presented by companies in Rhode Island while attendees enjoyed a curated selection of beer and wine by The Guild Brewing Company, a craft centric brewery based in Pawtucket, RI.
Mayor Brett Smiley was in attendance.
The first session, Thursday Gathering was ongoing, held 4:30 to 7:30 was entitled, “Innovation on Tap,” by the Guild Brewing Company, presented by (name)
Established in 2017, they are the largest brewery in Rhode Island and one of the top 75 producers in the United States. They not only produce their own brew brands but work with nine other craft breweries in growing their brands. The Guild serves the public with a beer hall and special events in Pawtucket, RI as well as Warren and a beer garden in Innovation District Park in Providence.
The second session held 5:00 to 5:45 entitled, “The Current and Future State of AI and the Law
The opening remarks set the stage for engaging exploration of the dynamic relationship between artificial intelligence and the world of art. Opening remarks began with Avi Nevel, the Founder and CEO of the Rhode Island Israel Collaborative (RIIC) and the Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce, Elizabeth Tanner.
Panel Discussion took place around law and the current and future state of artificial intelligence.
Following the opening remarks were three panel discussions around law and the current and future state of artificial intelligence where the following experts, visionaries and industry leaders provided their insights on the present landscape and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead at the intersection of AI and Art.
The Panel:
Moderated by David Josephs: Partner Hinckley Allen, Intellectual Property Attorney specializing in patent and trademark prosecution; opinion work; portfolio management.
Attorney Ariel Soiffer: Technology transactions partner at WilmerHale. Attorney Soiffer has extensive experience in AI and AI-related matters, including through his pre-law work in data analytics. Ariel’s AI experience spans many different domains, including synthesizing of photorealistic faces, generation of audiovisual works, drug discovery, fraud detection, financial education and data licenses, among many others. In addition, Ariel is a Chambers-ranked attorney in Technology.
Attorney Boe Kinloch, a former managing attorney and director of legal operations, HASBRO.
Attorney Kinloch has over 12 years’ experience practicing law in-house in entertainment, IP, tech licensing and data privacy. Bo’s business clients at Hasbro included many from design & development, particularly those building toys that connected to a digital mobile app.
Prior to law school, he gained distinction as a professional PlayStation game designer and web application developer (and for currently leveraging those systems-thinking skills in driving digital transformation.
The Third Session: “How AI is Impacting the Future of Design,” had three panelists of distinguished faculty members, students and industry exports from the renowned Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) who introduced themselves, their work, and their approach to the conversation.
The Panel
Their discussions revealed some of the profound influence of AI on the creative process and delved into various aspects of AI’s transformative role in the art and design landscape; examining how cutting – edge technologies are reshaping artistic expression and design practices, from generative art, machine learning-driven design to interactive installations and virtual reality experiences. Each of the following panelists shared their insights how AI has formed new frontiers of creativity.
Soul Brown: The panel discussion was moderated by Director of Research at RISD, Soul Brown , who provides faculty and students with research opportunities and has extensive experience leading grassroots nonprofits and cultural projects that focus on youth development, arts education and social justice.
Daniel Leftcourt, Professor, RISD: Professor Leftcourt’s artistic practice engages the discipline of painting through the lens of scientific, industrial and military imaging technologies. His current areas of research focus on generative systems, chance and procedural design. He has exhibited internationally in galleries and museums for over two decades and artworks are in numerous museum collections, including The Whitney Museum, NY; Yale University Art Gallery; MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, MA, The Rachofsky Collection at The Warehouse, Dallas TX Museum of Contemporary Art, LA; Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, FL V-A-C Foundation, Moscow and has also been included in numerous museum exhibitions including at MoMA PS1, New York; ICA Philadelphia; Sculpture Center, New York; the de Young Museum, San Francisco. Daniel
Professor Leftcourt has been a member of the faculty at RISD since 2008, a full-time faculty member since 2011, and a full professor since 2022. He has taught in both Experimental and Foundation Studies and the Painting department. In addition to RISD, Lefcourt previously taught at Parsons School of Design, the Cooper Union, OCAD University and Columbia University.
Griffin Smith: Griffin Smith is a digital artist using generative AI and language bots. He has collaborated with researchers, authors, and artists to develop the first AI studio courses at RISD. His creative works utilize custom neural networks, large language models, and VR installations. Smith’s classes place contemporary tools in a historical context, detailing how computation has shaped the past 100 years of art.
The last panel was on the subject of “Building an AI Startup: From Concept to Success,” where we bring together visionary entrepreneurs and AI experts to share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs in the world of artificial intelligence.moderated by Reilly Kons, Director of Venture Cafe Providence and featured two panelists Dr. Adar Kahana Data Scientist and Post Doc at Brown University and Betsy Bilhorn, Cofounder of Trender AI.
The panel discussions were followed by Q&A.
Thanks to Program Collaborators: Rhode Island School of Design and Venture Café Providence. and Rhode Island School of Design.