DZNE, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 27, 53127 Bonn 7 € (4 € students), free for Bonner Kunstverein members Booking essential Can machines be creative? In 1955 computer scientist John McCarthy coined the term ‘artificial intelligence’ ­suggesting that ‘every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it.’ The potential applications of A.I. are widely debated but what are the future implications for art and culture? Alongside our current exhibition, The Policeman’s Beard is Half Constructed: Art in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Bonner Kunstverein and the University of Bonn will host a symposium on the subject of creativity and artificial intelligence. Guest speakers include Frieder Nake who was one of the first to create and exhibit computer-generated images in 1965 and artist David Musgrave, whose novel ‘Unit’ is written as a first-person account of the life of an artificial being. They will be joined by Prof. Dr. Christian Bauckhage, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Bonn and lead scientist for Machine Learning at the Frauenhofer Institute and also by Prof. Dr. Thomas Christaller, professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Bielefeld. Capacity for the symposium is limited and participants are requested to book their attendance in advance. Tickets may be purchased from the Kunstverein or ordered from Leonie Runte (email: l.runte@bonner-kunstverein.de). The symposium will be followed by a reception and book launch for the exhibition catalogue at the Kunstverein. 13.45 Registration 14.00 Welcome from Prof. Dr. Henning Boecker, Chair of Bonner Kunstverein and Head of Clinical Functional Neuroimaging Group at the Department of Radiology of the University Clinic of Bonn and Michelle Cotton, Director, Bonner Kunstverein. 14.10 Prof. Dr. Christian Bauchige, Professor Computer Science, University Bonn and Lead Scientist for `Machine Learning´ at Fraunhofer IAIS Can AI learn to create art? Or can AI learn to appreciate art? Thanks to recent progress in machine learning and AI,  computers can now reliably recognize the content of images. In fact, by now, they can automatically improve the visual or aesthetic qualities of pictures. But they be genuinely creative? If so, then to what extent? And if not, then what are major obstacles? Given these questions, we present several recent examples of the use of AI in art and discuss the current state of the art as well as likely future developments. 14.40 Frieder Nake, Professor of Graphic Data Processing and Interactive Systems at the University of Bremen on his pioneering work in the development of computer graphics and involvement in some of the first exhibitions of computer-generated art. 15.10 break 15.30 Prof. Dr. Thomas Christaller, Professor AI, University of Bielefeld We all think we know what Natural Intelligence is. But scientifically there is no agreement about this. And there is even less agreement how does it function and what is the basis of it in our and other animals brains. But how then can an engineer construct a machine which contains Artificial Intelligence? 16.00 David Musgrave, artist whose work is featured in the current exhibition at Bonner Kunstverein reads from his novel ‘Unit’ and talk about ideas of autonomy in art and A.I. 16.30 panel discussion 17.00 closing remarks, Armin Cremers 6pm Book launch: The Policeman’s Beard is Half Constructed Bonner Kunstverein, Hochstadenring 22, Bonn A new English and German language publication featuring texts by Simon Bill, William Chamberlain, Nicholas A. Christakis, Armin Cremers, Alex Graves, Donald D. Hoffmann, Pamela McCorduck, Frieder Nake, Tomaso Poggio, Luc Steels and David Vernon and an extended essay by the exhibition curator, Michelle Cotton will be launched as part of a special reception with wine from Reverchon.