BCU’s AI Art Exhibition Explores Creativity, Technology, and Collaboration

By Anushka Malhotra

01 minute 25 seconds

Tech

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Quick Read: Birmingham City University’s AI art exhibition explores how artificial intelligence can be a creative collaborator, featuring works from students, staff, and international artists.

Birmingham City University (BCU) has unveiled a groundbreaking new art exhibition, All Watched Over: New Approaches to AI Co-creation, Collaboration, and Creativity, showcasing the fusion of artificial intelligence and human artistry. The exhibition, open from January 8 to January 31 at BCU's Parkside building, features contributions from students, staff, alumni, and international artists, challenging traditional notions of AI-generated art.

AI as a Creative Partner

The rapid rise of AI tools such as OpenAI’s DALL-E, which generates over two million images daily, has ignited debates about AI’s place in the art world. This exhibition seeks to shift the conversation, illustrating how AI can enhance creativity rather than replace it.

Gareth Courage, Lecturer in Illustration at BCU said:

"New technologies often face skepticism, much like photography and digital art did when they first emerged. Rather than making artists passive, AI can push creative work in unexpected and innovative directions."

One of the featured artists, Christoph Grünberger, co-founder of AI Art Magazine, presents his series EMO|NGN, which uses AI to create emotionally expressive portraits. Grünberger emphasised the importance of transparency when integrating AI into art:

"Using AI effectively is about vision and judgment. It’s not about letting the machine take over—it’s about guiding it to create something truly compelling. As AI-generated realism becomes more advanced, artists must clearly communicate AI’s role in the creative process."

A Forward-Thinking Approach

BCU’s exhibition highlights the university’s commitment to preparing students for the evolving digital landscape.

Gareth Courage said:

"To truly understand new technologies, we need to engage with them directly. Ignoring generative AI would be a disservice to students, as this technology will increasingly shape their studies and careers."

With AI now moving from rapid breakthroughs to a phase of refinement, Grünberger believes the focus should be on maximising AI’s potential as a creative collaborator rather than questioning its artistic legitimacy.

For those interested in exploring the future of AI-driven creativity, All Watched Over is open at BCU’s Parkside building until January 31. More details are available on the BCU website.

What's new

West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator Unlocks Nearly £50M in Private Investment

The West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA), led by the University of Birmingham, has generated an impressive £49.4 million in private co-investment within its first two years, significantly surpassing its original £14.5 million public funding allocation.

Funded through the Innovation Accelerator programme, coordinated by Innovate UK, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and UK Research and Innovation, WMHTIA has become a leading force in advancing health technology innovation across the region.

The majority of the private investment—£36.3 million—was directly committed by investors to enterprises supported by the Accelerator. This achievement represents a threefold return on the initial public investment, demonstrating the strong investor confidence in the region’s health tech sector.

Powering Health Innovation Through Collaboration

The WMHTIA brings together 21 partners from academia, industry, and the NHS to help healthtech companies develop, validate, and commercialise cutting-edge medical technologies. So far, companies supported through the programme have also secured an additional £10 million in national public grants from agencies including NIHR, Eureka, and Innovate UK.

Including both public and private contributions, the total investment leveraged by WMHTIA now stands at £67.3 million.

Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Birmingham:

We’re proud to support startups through the riskiest stages of innovation so more life-saving technologies reach patients. This exceptional investment proves what’s possible when academia, the NHS, and industry work together to drive economic growth and better health outcomes.

In March 2025, the Innovation Accelerator programme was extended with a further £30 million, including £4 million for the WMHTIA to continue supporting the region’s innovators in 2025/26.

Backing the Future of Health Tech

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands:

The West Midlands is leading medical tech innovation—from faster diagnoses to shorter hospital stays. Healthtech isn’t just improving lives; it’s creating secure, high-value jobs that drive inclusive growth.

Dean Cook, Executive Director of Place and Global, Innovate UK:

This programme shows how place-based innovation can unlock greater business investment in R&D. By connecting the region’s strengths, we’re creating high-value jobs and building globally significant innovation capability.

The WMHTIA continues to strengthen the region’s reputation as a national hub for health technology, with far-reaching benefits for patient care, job creation, and regional economic development.

By Anushka Malhotra

24 Jun