The discussion “Artificial Intelligence as a Tool for Creating and Promoting Audiovisual Content” occurred at the X St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum. Participants explored various possibilities for international collaboration.
The panel discussion included Dmitry Bikbaev, an actor, singer, director, and producer, Head of the Art Platform open theatre space in the New Manezh creative space; Marina Belova, Deputy General Director of Channel 5; Peter Dranga, an accordionist-virtuoso, conductor, composer, director, singer, and actor who is also an Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation; Pavel Peregudov, founder of Russia's first AI-film contest MyFilm48 and a co-founder of AI startups; Alexei Parfun, CEO of Agenda Media Group and co-owner and co-founder of Reface Technology; Alexei Minin, chief technology expert of the Experimental Machine Learning Systems Division of the Salyut Shared Services Department of Sberbank; Alessandro Alberto Ariosi, founder and head of Ariosi Management Agency; and Tair Karimov, a cultural activist and philanthropist. Alexander Tsypkin, playwright, screenwriter, and expert in strategic communications, who also created the literary-theatrical project BezprinTsypnie Readings, moderated the discussion.
Participants discussed AI's role in modern culture, its capabilities in content creation, and its impact on creativity. The experts agreed that AI can be applied in many sectors, serving as a powerful tool and assistant in solving various tasks, but it cannot replace humans.
"It seems that technology is still not at a level where it can replace specialists. For example, even a text request in GigaChat needs to be formulated by a specialist, increasing the chances of getting a useful response for work. It's important to understand that behind every result stands a professional. AI helps this professional expand their vision and explore options that might not have been considered otherwise," explained Dmitry Bikbaev.
He believes AI should be seen as an ally and helper for solving specific tasks. For example, AI can be involved in staging decisions, and GigaChat can be used to decorate performances.
Alexey Minin pointed out that AI technologies are not always predictable:
"You can limit a neural network within specific restrictions and involve censors, but this makes the model less intelligent. Some machine learning specialists believe that AI's intellectual level decreases in such cases. We consider these technologies as tools to expand human possibilities," he said.
He also mentioned that AI is creating many new professions. Minin added that an entire industry has emerged around working with artificial intelligence technologies.
Pyotr Dranga emphasized the importance of human emotions and energy in creating works of art: "There is another element—the divine spark, the energy. We love artists because they experience strong emotions when creating their works. The canvases they tear become highly valuable pieces of art. Each painting has a story, a backstory, and an energy that drives its creation. But AI is still a powerful and dangerous entity. It will assist in resolving some issues," he noted.
Tair Karimov speculated that AI might soon displace many professions, like washing machines replacing laundromats. He argued that there is no immediate threat of autopilots replacing real drivers in the near future. According to him, AI can easily write a dissertation, generate images, create videos, compose music, write stories, and process documents of any complexity. However, regarding high-level creativity, artificial intelligence is powerless compared to humans.
"I ask that no one conclude that AI or new technologies will leave musicians or composers without work. It is essential to clarify that AI solely optimizes routine tasks. It changes the world, but only humans can give it meaning," Karimov emphasized.