“The Arts & The New Frontier” examines the impact of AI on the arts and creative careers

UNCSA has released a new episode of its podcast, The Arts & Everything, hosted by Chancellor Brian Cole, examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping creative work and what the technology could mean for artists and arts training in the years ahead.

In “The Arts & The New Frontier,” Cole speaks with filmmaker and UNCSA School of Filmmaking faculty member Bob Gosse, illustrator and digital brush designer Kyle Webster, and Martha Graham Dance Company principal dancer Xin Ying about the opportunities, anxieties and ethical questions emerging with the advent of generative AI. Together, they compare the current moment to earlier technological disruptions, including recorded sound, film and the internet, while also exploring what feels unprecedented about AI’s growing role in creative industries.

The Arts & Everything podcast examines timely issues shaping the arts and their future through conversations with thought leaders and arts and entertainment industry experts. Past episodes have included interviews with actors and UNCSA alum Anna Camp and Krys Marshall (“The Arts & The Big Break”), violinist Jennifer Koh (“The Arts & Your Brain”) and actor/alum Stephen McKinley Henderson (“The Arts & Empathy”), among others.

In this latest episode, guests grapple with questions surrounding authorship, originality and labor in the age of AI-generated media. The discussion explores how training data is assembled and who may be exploited in the process, where the boundary lies between inspiration and infringement, and whether AI can become a tool for artistic expansion rather than replacement. 

The conversation also highlights innovative experimentation happening within the arts, including Xin Ying’s duet with legendary choreographer Martha Graham, “A Letter to Nobody,” a project that demonstrates how emerging technologies may open new creative possibilities in dance and performance. In Ying’s words, “How do we connect the machine and the audience in a way that creates an embodied human experience?”

Throughout the episode, the guests return to a central idea: As AI-generated content becomes increasingly common, audiences may value authenticity, craftsmanship and human connection even more deeply. Gosse notes that “as AI-generated media becomes more common, authenticity and trust will become commodities of value because of their absence.” And as Cole summarizes, “What gives art its power is not the tool, but the human voice, experience and inspiration behind it.”

“The Arts & The New Frontier” is now available on major podcast platforms.

Visit www.uncsa.edu/artsandeverything to listen to “The Arts & The New Frontier” and for past and future episodes of the podcast.

About host Brian Cole

Brian Cole is the ninth chancellor of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). Since becoming chancellor in 2020, he has led the development and implementation of the university’s strategic plan, “UNCSA Forward,” guiding the institution as it adapts to a transforming arts and entertainment landscape. His initiatives include expanding industry partnerships; launching the university’s mission-driven media publishing arm, UNCSA Media; and elevating campuswide mental health and wellness efforts. Cole has filled key leadership roles, overseen several major capital projects, and is leading the comprehensive $85 million renovation of the university’s performing arts center and learning laboratory, the Stevens Center in downtown Winston-Salem. An experienced conductor, Cole previously served as dean of the School of Music at UNCSA, founding dean of academic affairs at Berklee Valencia, and associate dean of academic affairs at the Puerto Rico Conservatory, and holds degrees from Louisiana State University and the University of Illinois.

Bob Gosse

Bob Gosse is a producer, director and educator. He began his professional career collaborating with his cousin Hal Hartley on shorts and two feature films, “The Unbelievable Truth” and “Trust.” In 1991, he started the lauded indie film company The Shooting Gallery with a handful of local filmmakers, developing such features as Billy Bob Thornton’s “Sling Blade.” He currently teaches producing in the School of Filmmaking at UNCSA.

Kyle T. Webster

Kyle T. Webster is an international award-winning illustrator who has drawn for The New Yorker, TIME, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Entertainment Weekly, Scholastic, and many other distinguished editorial, advertising, publishing and institutional clients. He is known as the founder of KyleBrush.com, the brand behind the world's best-selling Photoshop brushes for professional illustrators, animators, and designers. He is currently the senior brush developer at Procreate.

Xin Ying

Xin Ying is a dancer, choreographer, mother, and interdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of movement, technology, and digital legacy. An Onassis ONX Fellow and Dance Magazine Cover Star, she has been a principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company since 2011. Beyond performance, Xin creates work that moves across choreography, immersive media, and emerging technology.

About “The Arts & Everything”

“The Arts & Everything” is a production of UNCSA Media, supported in part by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts. The podcast is produced in part by UNCSA alumni and faculty, including School of Design and Production alumna Maria Wurttele. Music was composed by School of Music faculty member and Filmmaking alumnus Chris Heckman and performed by André Vasconcelos, Chris Heckman, and School of Music students Miah K. Cardoza and Gabe Lopez.

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