The Impacts of Big Data and AI on the Arts, Our Culture and Society
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
Release Date: 06/06/2025
Michael Cioni on Ingenuity and the Future of Entertainment
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, and sit down with four-time Emmy-winning innovator to unpack how technology and creativity converge in modern media workflows. Cioni introduces , a peer-to-peer platform designed to enable remote collaboration without cloud storage, and shares career lessons on building networks through industry events (NAB, Cine Gear, IBC) and assembling complementary teams (“Swiss-cheese” collaboration). He distinguishes generative vs. utilitarian AI, predicts a shakeout and rebound for GenAI, and outlines his Skills Gap Principle and...
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The Art of Language: Daniel Temkin Reveals The Inner Workings of Esolangs
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, and discussed the artistic possibilities of code, focusing on esoteric programming languages (esolangs) and how they can function as a medium for art and human expression. Temkin explained that his interest began with experimenting in existing esolangs (like Brainfuck) around 2007-2008, leading him to create his own and document them conceptually, moving away from overly technical documentation. The conversation highlighted how giving up on the idea that programming must be practical allows for artistic exploration, connecting...
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Politics and Portrayal: The Impact of AI and Our Lives
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Melida Hernandez and Christine Rivera dive into the intersections of technology, identity, and representation in digital spaces and media. Melida explores how AI-based recognition systems, often trained on biased datasets, misclassify transgender and non-binary individuals, which impacts their self-presentation, psychological well-being, and digital agency. Melida also discusses how these technologies replicate real-world prejudices, limiting the fluidity of gender expression online, and highlights the lack of diversity in AI research...
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The Future of Technology in the Performing Arts: VR versus Broadcast
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
Alexann Sharp and Lehan Xu discuss the impact of technology on performance industries, particularly VR concerts and broadcast theater. They note that COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of VR concerts, initially by smaller artists due to cost and uncertainty. Examples include Sabrina Carpenter and Kid Leroy's Meta collaborations. They highlight technical challenges like audio quality and headset comfort. In broadcast theater, historical examples date back to the 1930s, with modern initiatives like the Met Opera's "Live in HD" and National Theater Live. Both discuss the balance between...
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Ethics, AI, and Sustainability in the Arts
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Hannah Brainard and Anuja Uppuluri explore two significant threats to artists and cultural institutions: the ethical and legal implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically its pre-training practices, and the impact of climate change on art and cultural heritage. They discuss how AI models often exploit artists' work without consent or compensation, leading to calls for dynamic consent systems, robust attribution, and fair compensation models. Concurrently, they examine how climate change amplifies natural...
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Digital Marketing in the Age of AI: Insights From Grapeseed Media's Bill Updegraff
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of Tech in the Arts, of the Arts Management and interviews , founder and CEO of , a programmatic digital advertising firm. Grapeseed Media, established in 2013, has grown into a trusted partner for brands and agencies in digital advertising, earning recognition on Inc.’s 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies. In this episode, Updegraff explains that Grapeseed Media's initial goal was to provide arts organizations with access to programmatic advertising, a concept he once thought was exclusive to larger corporations. The company's role has since evolved from...
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The Impacts of Big Data and AI on the Arts, Our Culture and Society
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
What are the implications of AI and algorithmic governance on culture and creative industries? To answer these and other questions, the gathered a panel of experts on campus at Carnegie Mellon University. Working across arts, media, data, and technology, panelists discuss frameworks for understanding how power flows within and between these industries. This episode of the Tech in the Arts podcast is a recording from the program, held in April. The discussion is moderated by Lead Researcher Ian Hawthorne, and features , Director of the Sara Fine Institute and a teaching assistant professor at...
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Cinematic VR for Public Service with Eric Williams and Jordan Herron
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
Eric R. Williams is a Professor at Ohio University and the director of the cinematic virtual reality (Cine-VR) initiatives at the Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab. His work spans award-winning film, television, and interactive media, including screenplays for Universal Studios, Fox Online, and American Movie Classics, as well as numerous published books and podcast series on storytelling. Jordan Herron is an Immersive Media & Audio Producer at GRID Lab. Jordan began working at GRID Lab in 2018 as a student employee and now specializes in audio storytelling, immersive sound...
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Crafting Immersive Art with Amber Johnson at SONA Festival
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
is an Associate Professor of Simulation and Game Development at Wake Tech Community College. She has worked in the game industry as an artist and level designer since 2007. She began teaching at Wake Tech in 2014, developing a curriculum that utilizes modern game asset creation techniques. She currently teaches courses in digital art, game programming, photogrammetry, tech art, and VR. On top of teaching, she does freelance work in photogrammetry and 3d renderings. At SONA, Amber presented her project “Crafting the Unreal”, which reimagines as an immersive surrealist stop-motion VR...
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DAF Strategies and Community Funds - A Talk with CharityVest
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
Donor advised funds - what are they? How are they being used? And what innovations are these peculiar giving vehicles introducing to the field of philanthropy? In this episode of Tech in the Arts, Lead Research Ian Hawthorne sits down with Rebecca Jacobs, head of community funds at CharityVest, a young, digitally native DAF sponsor. See more at
info_outlineWhat are the implications of AI and algorithmic governance on culture and creative industries? To answer these and other questions, the Arts Management and Technology Laboratory gathered a panel of experts on campus at Carnegie Mellon University. Working across arts, media, data, and technology, panelists discuss frameworks for understanding how power flows within and between these industries.
This episode of the Tech in the Arts podcast is a recording from the program, held in April. The discussion is moderated by Lead Researcher Ian Hawthorne, and features
- Eleanor Mattern, Director of the Sara Fine Institute and a teaching assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Computing and Information. Her teaching and research interests include archives and digital curation, community-centered information work, civic engagement, and information policy and ethics.
- Emma Slayton, Data Education Librarian at the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries. Emma is an expert in data and AI literacies, GIS, and data visualization, she helps researchers and students develop their own data stories for publication and sharing. As a social scientist, she focuses on using computer modelling to analyze big data.
- Samantha Shorey, Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Samantha is a design researcher who studies automated technologies — such as AI and robots — in the workplace. In her research, she seeks to highlight the labor and innovation of people who are often overlooked in media narratives about new technologies.
See more at amt-lab.org