{"id":525282,"date":"2026-03-09T20:49:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/525282\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:49:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:49:09","slug":"calgary-public-library-announces-residency-for-an-artist-who-uses-ai-not-everyone-is-on-board","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/525282\/","title":{"rendered":"Calgary Public Library announces residency for an artist who uses AI. Not everyone is on board"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Text<\/p>\n

Listen to this article<\/p>\n

Estimated 4 minutes<\/p>\n

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.<\/p>\n

When Melanie Luther first saw a posting from Calgary Public Library (CPL) for a residency open to an artist who uses artificial intelligence, she thought it was a joke.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just sounded really bad and strange to be prioritizing an AI artist, which is a term that I find also kind of contradictory, especially versus hiring an actual artist,\u201c said Luther, who is an illustrator and tattoo artist in Calgary.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The library is offering a 10-week community engagement residency, to be awarded to one artist \u201cin any discipline who [uses] AI ethically as a collaborative partner in their creative process,\u201d the CPL said in a post<\/a> on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The position will run from June 29 to Sept. 4, with a maximum of $8,000 in compensation. Anyone interested has until April 7 to apply.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking for artists who are answering, or trying to answer, the questions that artificial intelligence raises in relation to creativity and art,\u201d said Millicent Mabi, the library\u2019s programming director.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“We hope to support the community to better understand [and] critically evaluate how they’re engaging in an informed manner with artificial intelligence.” <\/p>\n

Mabi says as AI becomes more prevalent, it presents both opportunities and challenges, and the CPL wants the library to be a space where conversations about it can unfold.<\/p>\n

The successful candidate will participate in public engagement during their residency, through free programs, workshops and one-on-one consultations, she said.<\/p>\n

Post met with pushback <\/p>\n

Luther was not alone in her reaction. Hundreds responded to the library\u2019s post about the position, with the majority of the comments seeming to be negative. <\/p>\n

\"anMelanie Luther has been working as an illustrator and graphic designer for 13 years, and is also a tattoo artist. She said an AI artist is a “contradictory term.” (Melanie Luther)<\/p>\n

Luther worries about the environmental impacts<\/a> of AI, and says it raises issues of plagiarism, since generative AI trains on existing content. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis can’t be really something that an artist can take ownership of as like, \u2018oh, I made this.\u2019 You didn’t though. And it’s okay that you didn’t make that, but I don’t think you can pretend that you made that,\u201d said Luther.<\/p>\n

Researcher Maura Grossman says it could be possible to create AI art ethically \u2014 say for example, if the AI models used were trained on art that is licensed or provided with permission. <\/p>\n

In 2024, Grossman, a professor in the computer science department at the University of Waterloo, surveyed fiction writers about their experiences with generative AI. Many were vehemently opposed to it. <\/p>\n

She says for some, art by its nature showcases a personal experience, making AI art antithetical. But for others, the point of art is primarily to be aesthetically pleasing, in which case AI art might not be as ethically murky for them. <\/p>\n

It could also be seen as a potential equalizer she said, though added many artists may be unlikely to agree. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou might say it’s great, because somebody who has zero creativity may be able to go onto a tool and create something that they could never have created before, because they didn’t have the skillset or the training,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Library reviewing feedback <\/p>\n

Mabi says CPL has seen the pushback, and understands people have different perspectives when it comes to AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s part of where we’re coming in to create that space and bring in experts to help people engage meaningfully with these topics,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe truly value the community’s feedback, and we’re taking it into consideration.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Luther, the online rebuttal is important.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think all of the anger and frustration that’s being directed at the library, I think they need to actually pay attention to it instead of just being like, \u2018yeah, we hear what you’re saying,\u2019\u201d said Luther.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While this is the first program the library is rolling out related to AI, Mabi says there are plans for more to come, including a course on AI and misinformation.\u00a0<\/p>\n