Art Thinking & Artistic Intelligence: AI Challenges AI

Date: Monday 27 April 2026

Time: 17:30 - 18:30

Location: Henderson Lecture Theatre, XFI Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter, EX4 4ST

Hosted by: Dr Robert Pearce: Lecturer in Innovation & Entrepreneurship

We are delighted to welcome Prof Sylvain Bureau co-founder of the globally renowned Improbable - Art Thinking team - one of the most sought‑after creative‑innovation groups working today. Their work spans collaborations with Stanford, NYU, and other leading universities, as well as major organisations including Canon, Air France, Lufthansa, and many more.

This event explores how artistic intelligence can transform our understanding and use of artificial intelligence. Moving beyond the familiar logic of optimisation, prediction, and control, our speakers will open up new ways of thinking with and through AI - ways that foreground purpose, meaning, and richer human perspectives, rather than pure efficiency. Together, we will examine how artistic intelligence can help us re‑imagine AI as a space for inquiry, ambiguity, and creative possibility.

University of Exeter’s Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship (ITE) Sub-Department provide a first-of-its-kind forum for this landmark discussion.

Prof Sylvain Bureau

Professor of Entrepreneurship, ESCP Business School Co‑Founder, Improbable - Art Thinking Improbable - Art Thinking

Prof Sylvain Bureau is internationally recognised for pioneering Art Thinking, a methodology that uses artistic processes to unlock new forms of innovation, imagination, and strategic insight. His work has been adopted by leading universities and global organisations seeking to cultivate more expansive, humane, and future‑oriented approaches to creativity. Bureau’s research and teaching challenge conventional innovation logics, inviting participants to embrace uncertainty, experiment radically, and generate ideas that shift perspectives rather than simply improve existing systems.

In this session, Prof Bureau introduces the principles of Art Thinking and explores how they can reshape our relationship with AI. Rather than treating AI as a tool to optimise performance, Art Thinking positions it as a medium for questioning, reframing, and expanding what we consider possible. Bureau will discuss how artistic intelligence can help organisations and individuals move beyond efficiency‑driven mindsets and toward more meaningful, emancipatory uses of AI.

Art Thinking

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Host or Publisher University of Exeter Business School