Expert Takes: Craig Hepburn

As Chief Digital Officer at Art Basel, do you think the metaverse could enable new cultural experiences?

I think most technology comes into­ existence to solve a basic human need. But, at some point, we start wondering what can elevate our experiences to the next level. The answer is often some kind of artistic or cultural space that gives us a real feeling of emotional connection.

In this sense, I think the metaverse unlocks an interesting new dimension through­ artistic and cultural experiences you might not have been able to access before – and that you may be able to engage with more deeply.

Are there artists already exploring these possibilities?

Refik Anadol is a great example. He uses AI in a very interesting way, building what he calls “Large Nature Models” that take in massive amounts of data from the natural world, from which he then generates pieces of art. But there’s a very human angle to all this as well. When ­ creating work based on rainforests, he was in Brazil, collaborating with tribes, learning about global warming, pulling insights into data models, and manifesting all of this as pieces of art that people can engage with.

By educating people about what’s happening in the world through art, Anadol’s work has significant impact. And it shows how digital tools can connect data, technology, and the world to help an artist create something truly meaningful.

Imagine being able to put on a headset and immerse yourself in a world of rainforests, art connecting layers within experiences that just ­ weren’t possible before.

We increasingly hear about how AI threatens artist livelihoods and jeopardises intellectual property rights. What are your thoughts on this?

Artists are worried, but there are upsides too, particularly where these technologies converge with Web3. Right now, we hear a lot about AI ­ models learning from the whole of the Internet–video, images, text. They’re being used to take intellectual property, copyright, and value away from creators.

We can find solutions in blockchain. With artists registering their IP for content they create, ownership would be logged and they could validate their own content at any time. The next phase would be AI systems that recognise these blockchains and reward artists and creators with some form of tokenisation. This means they’d maintain some level of IP ownership – and get paid. I’m convinced this will happen.

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