Hollywood films have explored artificial intelligence for decades with seemingly improbable plots. From the Terminator franchise to the Oscar-winning Her to Pixar’s Wall-E, what used to be fictional has become exponentially more real.
Summoning the Demon: Art + AI at the Edge of Control, which will run November 1 through 15 at Solana Fine Arts, will explore the power, promise and peril of AI while challenging viewers to confront the implications as this burgeoning technology rapidly alters the world around us.
The exhibition’s title refers to a quote from, not surprisingly, Elon Musk. At a 2014 symposium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology he warned: “With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon.” (Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015, resigned three years later, and re-entered the AI game in 2023 with his company, xAI).
Curator José Cabrera has contemplated the concept as an exhibition for a few years. He says that in his research, Musk’s quote stood out to him because of the visceral response it elicits.
“Summoning the demon is exactly what I feel we are doing,” he says. “You’re talking about something that was created by man but doesn’t have a soul. We’re giving control to something that can outthink us and outwork us—and that’s frightening.”
While headlines tout the benefits of AI for doing good—such as diagnosing medical conditions sooner and improving treatment protocols—there are also chilling headlines about AI programs that exert seemingly malevolent influence by spreading misinformation and even nudging users who seek advice about serious problems toward suicide as a solution.
Cabrera challenged the five Central Florida-based artists involved in the exhibition to respond to AI as it relates to medical advances, politics and society at large. Featured artists include Charles Marklin, Hai van Truong, Decoy Abstract, Ben Van Beusekom and Russell Bellamy.
From generative visuals and algorithmic patterns to deeply personal reflections on what it means to be human in a machine-driven future, the artists will use their work to provoke thought and ignite conversation.
“What I want people to come away with is that we should at least start to have a dialogue,” says Cabrera. “AI is not going away, and it’s going to continue to happen very quickly. If they can cure cancer with a robot, I’m all for it, but we need to be thinking not just about the pros, but the cons as well.”
An opening reception for Summoning the Demon is scheduled for Saturday, November 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Solana Fine Art is located at 1104 Solana Avenue, Winter Park. For more information, visit solanafineart.com or call 321.972.1774
