The MUTEK AI Ecologies Lab was an interdisciplinary residency fostering innovative and sustainable approaches to AI in the cultural sector. As AI democratizes rapidly, its potential for creative exploration and global impact grows. However, the environmental toll of AI, including energy and water consumption, calls for urgent action to develop more sustainable practices. This lab provided a platform to examine these challenges while advancing AI-driven innovation in art and culture. The project is a collaboration between MUTEK, the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), Applied AI Institute, Milieux Institute and Abundant Intelligences.

Guided by leading institutions and industry experts, the MUTEK AI Ecologies Lab investigated the critical relationships between our digital infrastructures, the cultural sector and our natural ecosystems. The programme invited a cohort of 6 selected participants to develop proposals for AI tools that work towards a sustainable digital arts sector, with access to mentorship and coaching along the way.

The lab not only questioned the environmental impacts of spreading AI technologies by cultural organizations and artists but more critically aimed to prototype tools and practices that may facilitate more sustainable adoption of AI in the sector.