AI: More Than Human

Seamlessly blending science and art, AI: More Than Human invites guests to engage with AI firsthand by interacting with unique machines, experiencing vibrant digital installations, and uncovering humanity’s long-standing relationship with technology. The exhibition traces AI’s origins, from ancient Japanese Shintoism to the groundbreaking innovations in computing that have shaped today’s digital world. 

“This exhibition offers a fascinating look at how AI has evolved from a concept of human imagination to a ubiquitous technology affecting many facets of our lives,” said Analisa Duran, Knight Sr. Director of Education at Frost Science. “Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or a skeptic, this experience will challenge your perceptions and spark new conversations about our relationship with technology.” 

From thought-provoking research to artistic collaborations, AI: More Than Human presents works by leading artists, scientists, and researchers and explores what it means to be human, the meaning of consciousness, and whether machines will ever outsmart us—offering something for everyone, from ChatGPT aficionados to AI cynics. 

AI: More Than Human is divided into four sections – starting with The Dream of AI, which looks at the origins and history of AI. This section focuses on the religious traditions of Judaism and Shintoism, the sciences of Arabic alchemy and early mathematics, and Gothic philosophies.  

In Section 2, Mind Machines, you'll discover how AI has developed throughout history, guided by the groundbreaking work of visionaries like Ada Lovelace, Charles Babbage, and Alan Turing. A must-see highlight of this section is Sony’s aibo, a robotic puppy that learns and adapts through memory-based interactions. Guests can even help shape aibo’s personality in real time—just by playing with it! 

Data Worlds dives into the ways AI is transforming society while addressing critical ethical questions about bias, truth, control, and privacy. Explore AI’s influence in healthcare, journalism, and retail, and encounter Joy Buolamwini’s Gender Shades project, which exposes how bias can be embedded in facial recognition software. 

The final section, Endless Evolution, explores the future of artificial life and AI’s role in shaping humanity. Experience Massive Attack’s groundbreaking project, where they encoded their album Mezzanine into synthetic DNA, or step into Justine Emard’s Co(AI)xistence, an interactive installation exploring communication between humans and machines.  

Throughout the exhibition, interactive installations bring AI to life. Test your skills in 2065, an open-world video game where you play the role of an AI by Lawrence Lek, meet an AI-powered version of yourself in Universal Everything’s Future You and experience the poetic fusion of art and technology with Es Devlin’s PoemPortraits, in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture and Ross Goodwin, where AI transforms words into visual masterpieces. 

AI: More Than Human was curated and organized by the City of London’s Barbican Centre and co-produced by Groningen Forum, Netherlands. The City of London Corporation is the owner, founder and principal funder of the Barbican Centre. The exhibition is sponsored locally by Amazon. 

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