Speaker & Trainer

Boris Eldagsen

"AI is a knowledge booster"

Boris Eldagsen is one of the few internationally recognised German voices in the discourse on AI-generated images and videos. The Süddeutsche Zeitung calls him the ‘poster boy of the AI debate’. In 2023, he sparked a global debate when he turned down the Sony World Photo Award - which he had won with an AI-generated image. He was live on BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera, the world press reported: from New York Times, The Guardian, Beijing News, The Hindu, Libération to El País and FAZ. As a media artist, philosopher and lecturer with 25 years of experience, he combines practice and theory and communicates complex content in a clear and concise way. His previous work as a freelancer in digital marketing also makes him a valuable source of inspiration for companies. Clients such as Accenture, Bertelsmann and ZDF rely on his expertise. He tests new AI features around the clock, analyses their potential and shares this knowledge in workshops and consultations with creative professionals and companies from all sectors. He recognises trends early on - and makes them tangible in his keynotes. While many are still grasping the basics of artificial creativity, Eldagsen is already developing strategies on how human-AI teamwork can be productively organised. He shows how humans and AI can work together in a meaningful way - in workflows, workspaces and visions. Ideal for events on creativity, media and innovation and companies that want to utilise creative AI in a targeted manner. Book now.

Rates

Vita

Boris Eldagsen (*1970) studied Fine Arts and Philosophy in Cologne, Mainz, Prague, and Hyderabad.

Since 2000, his photographic and media art has been exhibited and awarded at international institutions and festivals.

From 2000 to 2020, he worked as a freelancer in digital marketing for agencies such as R/GA, MRM McCann, Saatchi & Saatchi Pro, Endemol Shine, VOK DAMS, Scholz & Friends, TLGG, Aperto, among others.

Since 2004, he has been teaching the theory of ideas and creativity at international art academies such as the Victorian College of the Arts / Melbourne University, Kunsthochschule Mainz, Filmakademie Ludwigsburg, and Pathshala Media Institute Dhaka. In addition, he has held workshops and presentations for 40 universities and art schools worldwide, as well as nearly a dozen Goethe-Institutes.

As one of the first, he began offering workshops on AI-generated images at the end of 2022 and has since taught hundreds of art directors, designers, photographers, artists, image editors, and professors the essential AI knowledge. Partner organizations for these workshops have included Jung von Matt Academy / PAGE Magazine, Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, European Creators Lab, Creative Region Upper Austria, MFG Baden-Württemberg, and Hessendesign.

He is currently teaching “AI for Creatives” at LABASAD – Barcelona School for Art & Design.

Boris is one of the few internationally recognized experts in AI-generated images and videos and is a regular guest at panel discussions and events such as TEDx, re:publica, Handelsblatt Centillion Summit, Medientage München, FAZ AI Conference, World AI Conference Shanghai and C2 Montréal.

His refusal of the Sony World Photo Awards in April 2023 triggered a global debate on the relationship between photography and AI-generated images ("promptography"). He was called the “poster boy of the AI debate” (Süddeutsche Zeitung), “the man who lifted the lid on Pandora’s box” (The Age), and his image “PSEUDOMNESIA | The Electrician” was described as “the picture that stopped the world” (The Guardian), becoming a symbol of a new era.

He is an appointed member of Germany’s two oldest photography associations, DFA and DGPh, and a founding member of the AI working group of the German Photographic Council, the umbrella organization of over 40 photography associations and institutions in Germany. For the Council, he produces a monthly AI podcast. Additionally, he has been a guest on nearly 50 podcasts.

Eldagsen lives and works in Berlin.

Numerous studies have concluded that AI is in no way inferior to humans in terms of creativity. Unfortunately, these studies rarely define what they mean by creativity. Boris Eldagsen demonstrates the complexity of creative collaboration between humans and AI—and the impact this will have on the role of creatives and their education. He presents theories of creativity that help to better understand and optimize human-AI collaboration. And he offers suggestions on how companies can meaningfully prepare for multimodal work with AI.

Topics

WILL IT BLEND?

The Future of Creative Collaboration Between Humans & AI
Forms of creativity and how they can be meaningfully distributed between humans and AI
How the role of creatives changes in this collaboration – and what they have in common with bartenders
How workflows and workspaces need to evolve to optimize human-AI collaboration

MULTIMODALITY – Why AI Will Lead to More Interdisciplinary Teamwork

Multimodality as a key feature of generative AI, breaking down barriers through multimodal interfaces
Teamwork as a necessary response to the acceleration of technological development
New work processes and roles within teams

DREAM UP YOUR MOVIE – How and Where AI Videos Are Already Used Professionally

Overview of workflows and strategies for video creation with AI
Comparison of the current features of the top ten American and Chinese models
Recommendation: Which features and platforms are right for your company?

RIVALS: Photography vs. Promptography (AI-Generated Images)

What strength of photography cannot be replaced by AI?
What can AI-generated images do that photography cannot?
Why is it important to distinguish between the two?

References & Press

Excerpt from Company References:
re:publica Berlin, Medientage München, Messe Hamburg, Jung von Matt Academy, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Kestnergesellschaft Hannover, AI Biennale NRW, Accenture Hamburg, La Biennale di Venezia, World AI Conference Shanghai, C2 Montreal, Handelsblatt Centillion Summit, Dubai Future Foundation, Australian Digital Alliance, Hamburg Kreativgesellschaft, ZDF Image Editing Department, FAZ AI Conference, Venice Biennale, European Creators Lab, Creative Region Upper Austria, EVZ Foundation.

“Once again, many thanks for the engaging conversation with Mr. Matthes at the Centillion Summit.”
Hannah (Advisor to the Editor-in-Chief / Handelsblatt)

“Thank you again for a great lecture. Everyone was very impressed by every aspect of your talk. Your clarity in conveying such complex topics is truly remarkable. I will definitely be in touch again if you're open to further collaborations.”
Michel (Program Director & Academic Director / Venice Biennale, College Cinema and Cinema VR)

“It was also a great pleasure for us to have you at MEDIENTAGE. Your session was incredibly exciting, and I was glad I could follow your talk despite the conference work.”
Felix (Conference Management / MEDIENTAGE MÜNCHEN)

“The poster boy of the AI debate”
Süddeutsche Zeitung

“The AI pioneer”
Die Welt

“One of the most knowledgeable experts in the field”
verdi.de