Dr Oonagh Murphy

This report presents the first cross‑programme analysis of how England’s cultural sector is engaging with AI through Arts Council England funding (2019–2025). It identifies 194 projects and almost £4m in investment, including £900k for skills development.

Analysis in the report shows that creative practitioners are already interrogating AI’s societal impact from surveillance, bias, and data governance to accessibility, education, and joy, using existing ACE funding mechanisms.

*These projects dismantle the idea that creative practices that engage with AI technologies are just machine generated slop, and shows us that rigorous, thoughtful, human work is happening across the sector.
*Creative professionals aren’t passive users of technology, they are actively shaping these technologies.
*Responsible adoption starts with listening to the people most impacted and artists are often the first to feel the shifts.
*Artists bring the public into the conversation in ways industry and policy simply can’t.

The data shows that the cultural sector is well placed to influence Responsible AI policy and practice, with artists offering critical, place based perspectives that complement academic and industry perspectives.

Thanks to BRAID UK and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for funding this work, Arts Council England for collaborating on it, Goldsmiths, University of London for supporting my Fellowship.