AI AI AI - Demystifying AI: The who, the why and the how!?

Last month we hosted our first AI workshop for young people led by Georgia Lewis Anderson, Omar Karim and Ben Kahn. The idea of the workshop was to discuss our thoughts and feelings about AI, the ethics surrounding it,  as well as to learn and experiment creatively with AI together. We asked questions such as “Is AI the death of creativity? Or the beginning of a new creative era?”, “By joining the conversation is this a chance for us to cut through privileged voices dominating the AI conversation?” and “In the rapidly changing landscape, is AI an opportunity to equalise access in creative industries?”

Here at Lighthouse, we’re approaching conversations about AI with both curiosity and care. In a fast-changing landscape, we make space as a team to regularly check in with one another, reflecting on how we’re feeling about AI, sharing new insights we’ve discovered, and maintaining an open, ongoing dialogue.

We share many of the widely held concerns surrounding the ethical implications of AI, and these sit at the centre of our questioning and exploration. We believe it’s important to be part of the conversation so that we can help shape it. As a digital charity, we cannot ignore emerging technologies; instead, we have a responsibility to engage with them critically and thoughtfully. By staying involved, we can advocate for systems that evolve in more equitable ways. Removing ourselves from the discussion would only concentrate power further among those who already hold the most influence, and understanding the landscape is essential if we’re to challenge it.

Below are some of our takeaways from the workshop. *This was written with the assistance of AI. 

1. Setting the Scene

• AI is something entirely new; communicating about it feels unfamiliar.
• There’s resistance to being told what to think by “the guys in suits.”
• We want to be the Robin Hood of new tech — cutting through hype and accessing real insight.
• What AI can do in 10 seconds might take a team of 20 people two minutes.
• The advantage: no repetition, no fatigue.

2. The Emotional Landscape

• Feelings: worried and excited.
• Concerns include:
  • IP theft
  • Misinformation
  • Deepfakes
  • Trustworthiness
  • Environmental impact
  • Data security
• We want to explore the murky waters of AI’s rise in art: economic risks, creative rewards, and existential fallout.

3. Big Questions

• What’s hype and what’s reality? What will reality become?
• Why does AI feel impenetrable - even to the people building it?
• Can AI be:
  • Smarter than us?
  • A tool for profit?
  • A saviour, or something we become dependent on?
• Interesting research: people politically on the right appear more open to AI; those on the left are more sceptical. Why?

4. AI and the Creative Industries

Youth Perspectives

• AI is rapidly reshaping popular culture and everyday life.
• Debates:
  • Is AI the death of creativity? Or the beginning of a new creative era?
• Young creatives’ views:
  • 63% of young creatives use AI to assist in music-making.
  • Only 19% of over-55s do the same → older generations are more sceptical.
  • 47% of young people believe most future music/art will be AI-made.

Expert Input

• Dr Robert Laidlow (Jesus College, Oxford): “Researches new forms of musical expression built on the interaction between advanced tech and live performance.”

Why It Matters

• Need to cut through privileged voices dominating the AI conversation.
• Clear opportunity for AI to equalise access in creative industries.
• For many young creators, AI is a “handy brain partner” and an accountability tool.

5. Understanding AI Tools

• Generative AI = a conversation with something that can engage emotionally and personally.
• LLMs: the acceleration is as if air travel had developed 10x faster.
• We are living through the 4th industrial revolution — industries are being reimagined.
• The “Idea Age”:
  • One skill for life no longer works.
  • Job longevity fears are rising.
  • Now the only thing that matters is your idea.

Using Tools Like Gemini

• Gemini (Google) & pre-prompted ChatGPT for creative inspiration.
• Helps with:
  • Learning new tools and techniques
  • Channelling creativity
  • Project planning
  • Micro-entrepreneurship (“make £100 next week”)

Mindset

• The speed of change = a tsunami, not a ripple.
• We choose: put on arm-bands or get swept away.
• Curiosity is essential.

ABOUT

ABOUT LIGHTHOUSE

Lighthouse is a Brighton-based arts charity championing young people aged 16–30 to shape the future of the creative industries. For nearly 40 years, they’ve supported emerging talent, especially those facing systemic barriers, in developing as artists, producers, and creative leaders.

Their programmes place power directly in the hands of young people, pairing digital innovation with community-driven practice to build equitable pathways into the sector.

www.lighthouse.org.uk |  @lighthouse_btn

ABOUT UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (UKRI)

Launched in April 2018, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Our vision is for an outstanding research and innovation system in the UK that gives everyone the opportunity to contribute and to benefit, enriching lives locally, nationally and internationally. Our mission is to convene, catalyse and invest in close collaboration with others to build a thriving, inclusive research and innovation system that connects discovery to prosperity and public good.

www.ukri.org | @weareinnovateuk  @weareukri