Exploring the Impact of Generative AI on Architecture and Learning: A Conference Overview

Generative AI and the Future of Learning and Making: A Conference Overview

As we step into a transformative era, the landscape of creativity and design is rapidly evolving. Generative AI stands at the forefront of this evolution, reshaping our understanding of inspiration, imitation, and innovation. The upcoming 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale Conference, titled "Generative AI and the Future of Learning and Making," promises to delve deep into these themes, exploring the intricate relationship between technology, tradition, and creativity.

A New Understanding of Creativity

Generative AI does not create from nothing. Instead, it draws deeply from curated collections of precedents, maintaining an ongoing dialogue with established traditions and canons while introducing new expressions. This conflation of the old and the new raises questions: What does it mean to create in an age where artificial intelligence can replicate and recontextualize established ideas? How do we navigate the blurry line between imitation and innovation?

Scheduled for November 14-15, 2025, at Ca’ Giustinian, the conference will bring together a diverse cohort of experts — architects, neuroscientists, roboticists, philosophers, media artists, historians, and theorists — all united in a quest to rethink the concept of intelligence beyond imitation. It is about cultivating forms of learning that are deeply rooted in the physicality of matter, the nuances of spatial design, and the complexity of life itself.

Exploring Three Key Areas

The conference revolves around three interconnected areas of investigation:

1. Generative Design Current State: What is the state of generative AI in architecture today? What are its capabilities and limitations?

2. Politics of Data: This key theme will address the invisible influences inherent in datasets, highlighting the epistemic consequences that come with reliance on artificial intelligence.

3. Embodied Forms of Intelligence: The final area will explore how new forms of intelligence, from neuroscience to robotics, can reshape our understanding of learning and making.

Ultimately, the goal is to investigate how artificial intelligence can fundamentally transform our methodologies in learning, designing, and creating.

A Collaborative Initiative

This initiative is no small feat; it’s a collaboration between The Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London (UCL) and the Media x Design Lab at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Under the leadership of esteemed figures like Mario Carpo, Lidia Gasperoni, and Jeffrey Huang, the conference aims to extend beyond short-term discussions, establishing a research platform dubbed "Beyond Imitation."

No Pre-Registration Required

One of the most exciting aspects of this event is that no pre-registration is required. This inclusivity ensures that a broad range of voices can participate in the dialogue, enriching the discussions that will shape the future of architecture and design.

Conference Schedule

Day 1: November 14, 2025

• 15:00 – Opening Remarks
  Speakers: Jeffrey Huang (EPFL), Mario Carpo, and Lidia Gasperoni (UCL)

• 15:15 – Panel 1: Generative AI in Architecture: State of the Art
  Curators: Mario Carpo (UCL) and Jeffrey Huang (EPFL)
  Panelists: Matias del Campo, Immanuel Koh, Kyle Steinfeld, Mark Wilson-Jones

• 18:00 – Keynote Speaker: Refik Anadol
  Renowned AI artist from Los Angeles.

Day 2: November 15, 2025

• 10:00 – Panel 2: Politics of Datasets: Invisible Influences and Alternative Epistemologies
  Curator: Lidia Gasperoni (UCL)
  Panelists: Noam Elcott, Catherine Griffiths, Orit Halpern, Matteo Pasquinelli

• 15:00 – Panel 3: Forms of Intelligence: Learning and Making from Neuroscience to Robotics
  Curators: Jeffrey Huang (EPFL) and Mario Carpo (UCL/Italian Academy)
  Panelists: Daniela Rus, Olaf Blanke, Miriam Kyselo, Philip Yuan, Fabio Gramazio

• 18:00 – Closing Roundtable Discussion
  Moderators: Allison Arieff (MIT Technology Review) and chairs

• 19:00 – Concluding Remarks and Farewell

As we look forward to this enlightening conference, it’s clear that "Generative AI and the Future of Learning and Making" will serve as a crucial platform for interdisciplinary dialogue, exploring the uncharted territories of creativity in the age of artificial intelligence. Join us in Venice to be part of this vital discussion about the future of architecture, learning, and creativity.