Event
Artistic Freedom and Creativity: Navigating AI in a Volatile World
This event will take place as part of UNESCO’s celebration of the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), in the margins of the signature event on 7 May 2025 at Bozar - Centre for Fine Arts, under the theme Reporting in the Brave New World: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media. Addressing information as a public good in the age of AI, WPFD 2025 will explore both longstanding and emerging challenges, as well as opportunities for freedom of expression, including artistic expression — a crucial yet often overlooked dimension. In this context, the side event “Artistic Freedom and Creativity: Navigating AI in a Volatile World” will examine the intersection of culture and emerging technologies, with the support of the UNESCO-Aschberg Programme for Artists and Cultural Professionals (funded by the government of Norway).
Following a keynote address by Alexandra Xanthaki, UN Special Rapporteur in the field of Cultural Rights, two panel sessions will bring together policymakers, civil society organizations, artists, cultural professionals, industry leaders, media actors, and international organizations for inclusive and interactive discussions. The first session will explore how digital technologies – in particular AI – are impacting artistic freedom, reshaping the creative professions, and presenting new risks and opportunities. The second panel will be organized in collaboration with , an NGO dedicated to the international mobility of artists and culture professionals. Panelists will exchange on the situation of artists at risk, particularly those affected by emergencies around the world, as well as the protection and support mechanisms available to them. The event will include an artistic performance, followed by a reception.
This event is part of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, a landmark international agreement that continues to guide global efforts to empower creativity and protect cultural diversity, while strengthening the social and economic rights of artists and improving the right to access culture.
The event will be in English.
