ArtCenter College of Design Unveils Creative Tech 2024 Program

ArtCenter College of Design is launching Creative Tech 2024 on Oct.23, a three-day program focused on the transformative role of artificial intelligence, sustainable design challenges, and new approaches to entrepreneurship in creative fields. Building on the past three years of programming, this event series is open to the public with required reservations and aims to provide insight into emerging technologies and creative practices.

“As we navigate the impact of AI across various forms of art, media, and design practices, we present Artificial Intelligence primarily as technology. I like to explore AI as Augmented Human Intelligence, which means asking what creatives want from AI and how they can influence tech development,” said Maggie Hendrie, Dean of the Media and Technology Division at ArtCenter. “This approach centers on outcomes and human impact rather than merely pursuing more sophisticated machines.”

The program features two public panels. The first, collaborating with Innovate Pasadena’s Connect Week 2024, will explore AI and digital infrastructure policies. Panelists include Sanford Williams, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Federal Communications Commission; Bill Gross, inventor, founder of Solar Devices, Idealab, GoTo/Overture, ProRata.ai, and ArtCenter Trustee; and Todd Terrazas, social entrepreneur and Founder of the Artificial Intelligence Los Angeles Community. Maggie Hendrie will moderate this panel, scheduled for Oct. 23 from 5-7:30 p.m.

A second panel on Oct. 29 from 5-7:30 p.m., will focus on purpose-driven creative technology. It will feature Vicki von Holzhausen, car designer and founder of the vegan leather alternative brand von Holzhausen, and Jessie Kawata, User Experience Design Director, educator, co-founder, and Design x Space Exploration pioneer. ArtCenter President Karen Hofmann will moderate this discussion with the two alumni.

In addition to the public events, Creative Tech 2024 introduces two “Careers in Creative Tech” sessions exclusively for ArtCenter students. These sessions will provide students with opportunities to interact with professionals who have prioritized sustainability and innovation in their work. They offer a behind-the-scenes view into how one can thoughtfully design their creative careers and learn how to channel what they have learned to make a meaningful difference in the world. The sessions are scheduled for Oct. 29 with Jessie Kawata and Oct. 30 with Iain Finch, both from noon to 2 p.m.

ArtCenter’s Creative Tech 2024 aligns with the college’s mission to empower creatives as informed and impactful contributors to their fields. The program brings together change-makers who are creating new pathways within their industries while working towards building brighter futures.

Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education. The college offers 11 undergraduate and seven graduate degrees in a wide variety of industrial design disciplines as well as visual and applied arts. ArtCenter is renowned for both its ties to industry and social impact initiatives, being the first design school to receive the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Organization status.

For more information and registration details, interested parties can visit the ArtCenter website at: https://www.artcenter.edu/connect/events/creative-tech.html.