Designing Futures: Exploring AI, Data, Architecture and beyond‪.‬ Nathalie Rozencwajg & Melanie Rozencwajg

In this episode, we're joined by Florian Schneider, a prominent figure navigating the intersections of art, technology, and documentary practices. As a filmmaker, writer, curator, and esteemed Professor at NTNU, Florian has spearheaded groundbreaking discussions on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in reshaping creativity and ownership across the cultural landscape, particularly in architecture.
We delve into Florian's insights on how AI is transforming traditional notions of intellectual property, introducing the concept of "imaginary property" and challenging us to rethink ownership in the digital age. We explore the resistance of architecture to intellectual property laws, contrasted with its prevalence in cinema and literature, and the implications of the data economy's rise on creative industries.
Join us as we discuss the impact of generative AI and automation on conventional intellectual property rights, the potential for cross-creation, and the need for new juridical concepts to address the intertwined futures of humans, machines, and collective creativity.

In this episode, we welcome Mohammed Almahmood to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and urbanism. With over 15 years of experience and a passion for creating human-centric public spaces, Mohammed provides a critical insight into how AI is transforming urban design. We discuss the impact of AI on data collection, simulation modeling, and the challenges and opportunities it brings to urban planning. Mohammed shares his approach to urban design, emphasizing the importance of a human-centered perspective and the risks of evidence-based urbanism. Our discussion will cover the use of AI from the design phase to real-time urban interactions, addressing potential biases in AI tools and the significance of real-time data in decision-making. Join us for a compelling conversation on the future of urban design in the age of AI, offering insights for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

In our third episode, meet Lara Belkind, a passionate architectural historian and lecturer at Syracuse University. Follwoing a double Master’s degrees in Architecture and Urban Planning from Harvard University, Lara is currently pursuing her PhD at the same prestigious institution.
Her research delves into the fascinating intersection of new technology and urban space, specifically in New York and Greater Paris. She has also shared her expertise at esteemed institutions such as Columbia University, the Architectural Association, Yale, and Harvard. Beyond academia, Lara has actively contributed to urban regeneration strategies, collaborating with public agencies in New York and Washington, DC.
With Lara we discussed historic parallels within architecture and AI - questioning whether we can draw comparisons to technological advances that would have potentially created a paradigm shift in the past; similar to what we’re seeing and experiencing today.
Join us in as we unravel these intricate layers of history, art and architecture and how these shifts in the past impacts the work we do today.

Immanuel Koh is an Assistant Professor in both Architecture & Sustainable Design (ASD) and Design & Artificial Intelligence (DAI) at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). He directs Artificial-Architecture  — an interdisciplinary research laboratory that focuses on the design and development of deep learning models for artificial creativity, generative architecture, predictive urbanism.
In this episode we talk about the premises of AI in architecture and how Immanuel developed the first course that aims to address a growing need for architects and designers to have a theoretical framework that allows them to critically engage with artificial intelligence.

Helen Armstrong is a Professor of Graphic & Experience Design and the Director of the MGXD Program at North Carolina State University. She is also the author of the book "Big Data - Big Design," which delves into essential questions about Design, Data, and AI in today's rapidly advancing AI landscape.
We embark on our podcast journey with Helen, as both an educator and a researcher, covering topics at the crossraods between AI and creative industries.