An art exhibition, launching at Birmingham City University (BCU) today hopes to change attitudes about how AI can be used as an artistic tool.

‘All Watched Over: New Approaches AI Co-creation, Collaboration and Creativity’, will see submissions from staff, students and alumni from BCU, as well as international artists.

Less than two years after its initial release, OpenAI’s generative AI image creator, DALL-E, was creating over 2 million images a day.

And while AI art has been a controversial subject, All Watched Over is looking to showcase how human users can work proactively with AI as a contributor, to develop new ideas and shape the creative process.

“When a new technology arrives, there is often plenty of discussion about its legitimacy as an artform. We are seeing historical parallels, and the same conversations that were had when photography and digital art first emerged, even decades ago,” said Gareth Courage, Lecturer in Illustration at BCU. “These historical parallels are a reminder that new technologies often create a sense of wonder and panic but can become a part of everyday life and respected art forms.

“Incorporating AI into the creative process can, instead of making us passive and deskilled, propel work in different and unexpected directions.

“As a university we want to challenge and explore new technologies, but to do this it’s important to engage with them directly. Failing to engage with technology like gen-AI would be a disservice to our students too as this software will increasingly influence their studies and careers.”

The exhibition will be the first time an entire exhibition of AI co-created work will be shown at BCU, with artists from across the world submitting their work. One of those is co-founder of the AI Art Magazine, Christoph Grünberger.

His collection, EMO|NGN™ is a series of AI-generated portraits, each expressing raw emotions, which challenges our relationships with authenticity, technology and emotions in the age of AI.

Christoph says that All Watched Over gave him the opportunity to step outside traditional artistic constraints and push boundaries: “Using AI effectively requires vision, judgment, and a deep understanding of the tools at hand. It’s not about letting the machine do the work; it’s about guiding it to achieve something uniquely compelling.

“As more people get access to AI tools, its vital that artists remain transparent and clearly communicate AI’s role in the creative process. Audiences deserve to know when elements are AI-generated, especially as realism blurs the line between artificial and authentic.

“We’re now entering a phase of refinement with AI, rather than dramatic breakthroughs. The conversation is shifting from, ‘how much better can AI get?’ to ‘how can we maximize its potential as a partner in creativity?’ This evolution has the potential to redefine innovation itself.”

All Watched Over will be shown at the Parkside building from Wednesday 8^th – Friday 31^st January. More information is available on the BCU website.

‍About Birmingham City UniversityFrom art, accounting and architecture to midwifery, media and mechanical engineering, BCU transforms the lives of its students by offering a wide range of contemporary and flexible courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Home to the award-winning School of Jewellery, the internationally renowned Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and the innovative business incubator STEAMhouse, BCU has a history stretching back to 1843. It is also focused on the future, with its new strategy – ‘Rooted in Birmingham, Reaching Beyond’ - committed to the regeneration of the city and to enhancing communities across the West Midlands.