I’m excited (and admittedly a little philosophically caffeinated) to announce that I’ll be joining this year’s Art Vancouver panel discussion:

“Beyond the Prompt: What Creativity Means in the Age of AI”  May 30th @ 2pm-330pm on the mainstage

Over the last few years, artificial intelligence has rapidly entered the creative world — generating paintings, poetry, music, photography, writing, and enough existential debates to keep coffee shops operational for another century.

Some see this as the collapse of creativity.

Personally?

I think we may be witnessing a creative explosion.

But perhaps not in the way people expect.

Ironically, I suspect the rise of instant digital creation tools may actually increase appreciation for deeply human work. The artist hand-painting tissue paper onto canvas for nine months straight. The sculptor covered in stone dust. The printmaker working through midnight with ink-stained hands and an aching back.

Attention itself is becoming part of the artwork.

At Steffich Fine Art, AI already helps me tremendously behind the scenes, from research and brainstorming to writing, organization, planning, and solving technical problems that would otherwise consume precious hours in a small independent gallery.

To me, AI feels less like an “art replacement machine” and more like a knowledge amplifier built from generations of accumulated human insight.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t risks.

There absolutely are.

But I keep returning to the same thought:

A chainsaw can build a home or destroy one.

Powerful tools have always amplified human nature — both the good and the bad. AI is no exception.

What fascinates me most is the evolving question of meaning.

Because the word is artWORK for a reason.

Generating endless images does not automatically create emotional depth, lived experience, symbolism, or authentic connection. Audiences still crave story, humanity, intention, and resonance. In fact, I suspect collectors and viewers may become even more interested in the human story behind the artwork as AI-generated imagery becomes increasingly common.

I’m also deeply interested in how technologies like blockchain may eventually help support artists in this evolving landscape; preserving provenance, attribution, licensing, and artistic identity in ways we’ve never seen before.

In many ways, we are entering a new renaissance of questions:

• What makes art meaningful?

• What makes something authentic?

• What role should technology play in human expression?

• And perhaps most importantly:
  What kind of creators do we want to become?

For me, the most exciting future is not humans versus machines.

It’s humans learning how to balance the digital and natural worlds intelligently, ethically, and creatively.

The people who can bridge those two dimensions, while still remaining deeply human - may become some of the most innovative artists of the next era.

Looking forward to the conversation at Art Vancouver.

And yes… I fully expect at least one robot joke.

See links in the description to buy your ticket and join in on the conversation at Art Vancouver 2026.  Please share a hello if you see me strolling about the show.

Until then - stay frosty folks....