There are many interesting questions we can ask of AI. For me, a big question is firstly one to ask of ourselves: do we want a ‘human in the loop’ workflow or should be lean towards ‘machine in the loop’? The differences between these workflows might seem technical but they speak volumes about our philosophical mindset as humans co-creating with artificial agents. To be clear, we have been working alongside algorithms for decades now, but only in the last 3 years has AI entered the popular imagination, and is now present in every piece of software, web interface, mobile devices, smart cars and more. Embodied performance impresario Avital Meshi has a wonderful slide she uses at talks that says ‘ today, I was talking to my hair brush.’ While this seems frivolous at first, it highlights the new cognitive and behavioural capacities we have because of AI. These are precious and more nuanced than we know. Below is a short list of my recent happenings in the AI theory space.

🔹 ICLLA 2025 Invited Talk — “Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Humanities and Art: Digital Futures in Evolution” (22 August 2025)

This invited presentation examined the transformative impact of generative AI and large language models (LLMs) on the humanities and arts. Framing AI as both creative collaborator and ethical challenge, the talk explored evolving notions of authorship, originality, and human agency. Drawing from recent scholarship, including IEEE Transactions on Artificial Intelligence, it emphasized how LLMs support new modes of artistic expression across diverse cultural contexts. Through case studies and theoretical reflections, the presentation invited critical engagement with generative technologies as cultural tools—encouraging responsible, imaginative, and informed use within contemporary creative research and digital practice. https://www.iclla.org/invited.html

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🔹 Ars Electronica Expanded Animation Conference 2025 — “Generative AI in Contemporary Animation Practice” (with June Kim and Simon Howden)

This co-authored presentation offered a posthumanist critique of generative AI’s influence on animation, digital filmmaking, and interactive art. It mapped key tensions and opportunities across the field—focusing on labour, ethics, co-creativity, and automation. Through close reading of contemporary tools and techniques, the presentation bridged computer science, aesthetic theory, and production workflows. Positioned within current debates on AI and creative labour, it argued for nuanced understandings of authorship and agency in AI-assisted animation. The paper contributed to Expanded Animation’s critical agenda by threading together technical insight with philosophical inquiry and practitioner perspectives. https://expanded-conf.org/schedule/rewa-wright-june-kim-simon-howden-beyond-instrumentalism-posthuman-assemblages-and-ai-in-contemporary-animation/