Life and Art from FT Weekend cover image

Life and Art from FT Weekend

In the age of AI, what counts as art?

Oct 7, 2024
John Thornhill, the Financial Times' Innovation editor, dives into the intriguing relationship between AI and art. He shares his experience of watching a groundbreaking film about Brian Eno that features 52 quintillion variations, showcasing how AI can enhance creativity. Thornhill discusses the challenges critics face when evaluating generative art and emphasizes the importance of human guidance in storytelling. He also raises thought-provoking questions about authenticity in an era where the lines between human and AI-generated art are increasingly blurred.
20:09

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The film Eno illustrates the potential of AI to create unique storytelling experiences by reshuffling footage into 52 quintillion variations.
  • The discussion around Eno questions the evolving nature of art, highlighting the tension between technology's role and authenticity in creative expression.

Deep dives

The Innovative Film Eno

The film Eno showcases an innovative approach to storytelling by utilizing a unique algorithm that reshuffles scenes from 500 hours of footage of artist Brian Eno's life. This experimental format allows viewers to experience one of 52 quintillion possible versions, making each screening a distinct encounter. While human editors initially curate the content, the algorithm plays a critical role in determining the order and theme of the scenes, revealing different facets of Eno's creativity in each iteration. The result is a film that, despite its variability, maintains a coherent narrative thread, challenging traditional expectations of biographical documentaries.

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