What ideas do you have for Europe's future, Dr Christian Ehler?

Dr Ehler, Europe is in permanent crisis mode. Why are we overwhelmed by social change - for example with regard to climate protection or the digital transformation?

We have never changed societies through regulation or purely through technology. Societies only change through a changing narrative. In Brussels, we are currently learning across party lines: without an artistic, creative and aesthetic categorisation, this transformation process will not succeed.

With the New European Bauhaus, Ursula von der Leyen has launched an unprecedented initiative that makes the creative industries a key element of the European Green Deal. By bringing creatives together with science and technology to work on an enriching, sustainable, inclusive future.

What you are talking about here is what we call cross innovation - creative professionals bringing their innovative power to other sectors. What do you think is needed to further promote this exchange?

Europe is trying to integrate culture into research programmes and link funding policies - to bring the creative industries and technology back into conversation with each other. I find it problematic that the topic of creative industries funding is kept in the silo of cultural policy - and is therefore often notoriously under-resourced. And I believe that these crossovers are now wanted and also supported, but the really big programmes are not yet available. The interesting thing is that a rethink is slowly taking place in Germany. For example, people are asking themselves: To what extent must technology be beneficial to society? Can technology development be altruistic? I don't see enough of these questions being written into the design of public funding and discussed.

What is Europe doing to promote the potential of the creative industries?

I think 2.3 billion euros in independent budget funds for the creative industries and innovation speak for themselves. This is a clear sign that technological innovation and creativity must go hand in hand - and the largest budget increase in the European Union's research budget. Europe is also establishing the EIT Culture & Creativity with up to 300 million euros in funding over the next five years. This is a network of experts in which start-ups, creatives and universities work together.

These are things that are rather unusual for Europe, because we normally support initiatives by member states. But now Europe is saying: we need instruments ourselves that go beyond mere funding. We clearly want to go a step further than America or Asia, where people think in silos between culture, politics and business and there are few bridges.

AI is having a major impact in many sectors of the creative industries. The EU is currently leading the way worldwide when it comes to regulating the technology. What do you think is driving this development?

When it comes to regulating AI, the focus should primarily be on large corporations that operate across national borders - and where there is always a risk of manipulation. We need to take a close look at what AI is to be used for. Bias is also an issue. As AI is based on the data with which it is fed - so far mainly data from a white, western, capitalist world - it is never neutral. Because AI will influence decision-making processes and control administrative processes in the future, this is an important issue.

In non-democratic societies such as China, AI could also be used as an instrument of social control, which requires international attention. However, over-regulation harbours the risk of stifling creative processes, especially in small companies and start-ups with an artistic focus. Balanced regulation is therefore necessary to prevent abuse without hindering creative developments.

The creative industries create music, films, books, architecture, theatre, design and much more. Which product from the industry impressed you the most in 2023?

I was very impressed by one project at Ars Electronica - especially in light of the cross-innovation concept. The project is called Pollinator Pathmaker. It's about using AI to create landscapes and biotopes for pollinators, i.e. bees. What I find so remarkable about it is that artificial intelligence is looking for ways to sow plants or develop biotopes in such a way that they are attractive to bees. And at the same time, very artistic and aesthetic sculptures are created that stand on their own. It is much more than a prettified application. It is a project that takes an altruistic approach, makes a contribution to biodiversity and potentially offers everyone access to this topic - as well as creating works of art.