Artificial intelligence: co-maker or competitor in the cultural sector?

Amsterdam, 12 June 2025 - The rise of artificial intelligence is causing a stir in the arts and culture sector. Will AI dominate people's free creativity? Will algorithms soon determine what we read, what we listen to, where we go? What does AI do to our perception or imagination? How does AI affect the public space in which art and culture

Bookman #143: Art and AI is available from now, click here and view table of contents.

The cover illustration was created by Charlotte Bruges.

New opportunities and threats

Bookman 143 maps out what AI can mean for cultural institutions and creators. Some see AI as a tool that offers new possibilities in the creative process and opens up new avenues. Others see it as a threat. This involves more than fears of bread grubbing or job losses for artists.

AI as responsive material 

In the opening article puts Michel van Dartel the persistent fear that AI could make artists' work redundant. Artists approach AI mainly as 'responsive material': they spar with AI applications or program themselves to be surprised with different possibilities than they come up with themselves. AI is also an important topic for reflection, especially on ethical aspects such as ecological impact and the relinquishment of user data. 

Government role under the microscope

AI has undeniably profound implications for cultural and creative creators. This is evident from, among others, the article by Caspar de Kiefte On Arts Union research into the impact on artists' professional status. What is the role of the government? Is a wait-and-see attitude justified because of European policy, or is anticipation needed? These questions are central to an advisory report by the Council for Culture due in 2026.

Tech revolution

Ewout van der Linden and Twan Arts address the impact of AI on the music and film industries, respectively. The music industry is looking at it like rabbits in the headlights of an oncoming car, says Van der Linden, but according to him, it could still be fine. Arts stresses that film has always been shaped by technology and will also adapt now. 'The core of this new revolution lies in the fact that AI is no longer just a tool, but is increasingly becoming a co-maker.' Authors agree on one thing: computer models can do a lot and have added value as a tool, but know no imagination and have no feeling.