The AI & I Symposium brought together voices rarely heard in the same room - from bestselling authors whose work has been used to train AI models without permission, to young artists pioneering ethical AI applications, to seasoned designers navigating technological change. But the real magic was in the audience, whose questions and contributions transformed every session into collaborative dialogue. What emerged through six sessions of honest engagement was both more complex and more hopeful than most AI discussions suggest, revealing insights that creative professionals have been hungry for but rarely find in industry events that trust their intelligence and curiosity.

The Human Element

From Philips design veteran Rogier van der Heide's moving poetry about creativity living in human memory, to French illustrator Aurelia Durand's stories of how her life experiences shape every artwork, we heard consistent testimony that human experience, emotion, and perspective remain irreplaceable in creative work.

Technology Can Enhance Human Vision

Award-winning Danish artist Mathilde Friis Olsen's live demonstration showed AI as creative catalyst rather than replacement - using AI tools as inspiration to envision scenes for traditional paintings. Italian AI creative maestro Emanuele Jane Morelli's prompting masterclass revealed how artists can maintain creative control while leveraging machine intelligence. The key? Intention and human direction.

 Generational Perspectives Matter

One of the symposium's most insightful moments was a 22-year-old recent design graduate interviewing a Bang & Olufsen veteran on stage about heritage and technological change. Their conversation revealed how different generations approach AI adoption, with wisdom and caution balanced against curiosity and experimentation.

 The Conversation is Bigger Than AI

Discussions consistently expanded beyond tools to examine responsibility, equity, and the kind of future we want to build. Whether exploring cultural sensitivity in AI design, the ethics of data use, or the leadership challenges of technological adoption, the audience across all 6 sessions recognised that AI questions are fundamentally human questions.

The symposium proved that the creative community is ready for sophisticated conversation about AI - embracing neither uncritical adoption nor reflexive rejection, but thoughtful engagement with both possibilities and responsibilities. As Kristina May, CEO and design strategist at AMCopenhagen, reminded us with inspiring honesty in the closing session: "As designers we envision the positive futures - the futures others can't. No other profession does this."

Stay tuned as we share more insights from 'AI & I' in the coming months.

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