The Italian Institute of Culture, in collaboration with the start-up Wild Creative Industry, launches Artificial Intelligence versus Human Intelligence, a new photography contest open to creatives, students, cinematographers, artists, amateur and professional photographers of Albania and Kosovo. The Italian Institute asked two AI software to create images of seven human feelings, faculties or emotions, selected them without interacting with the AI software and published them on its website. You can watch them at www.iictirana.esteri.it.

Now, the Institute invites Albanians and Kosovars creatives to challenge them, creating original, human pics of the same feelings, faculties and emotions. The photos must be sent to contest@wildcreativeindustry.com within 15 April 2025. A jury will evaluate and select the best photos based on originality of the visual idea, composition and coherence with the topic. The winner will be awarded with a two-days professional workshop in Italy at Allucinazione Photography Studio in Rome. As well, the best photos will be part of future activities of the Institute, such as exhibitions, events and web initiatives. It’s an interesting opportunity for students and creatives.

Albanian Daily News has talked to Alessandro Ruggera, Director of the Italian Institute of Culture in Albania and Kosovo, that has shared more info in this exclusive interview:

Albanian Daily News: Director Ruggera, welcome to Albanian Daily News. The Italian Institute of Culture has a long story of friendship and cultural activities in Albania and Kosovo.  Now, a new chapter begins with Artificial Intelligence. Please, give us more details on the photography contest AI vs HI – Artificial Intelligence versus Human Intelligence. A challenge to Albanian and Kosovar creatives. Why AI and how did the idea of a contest come up?

-Alessandro Ruggera, Director of Italian Institute of Culture in Albania and Kosovo: Contemporaneity and innovation are priorities for the Institute. The Artificial Intelligence is and will remain a main topic for artists and creative professionals. It is a leit motiv on the news and, of course, among the staff of the Institute. The Institute was working on a new communication campaign to promote our upcoming events. The concept Human Intelligence and the idea of launching a contest came up in that workflow. The photography contest is a call to creativity in Albania and Kosovo. It’s part of our identity as Italian Institute of Culture. The Institute not only promotes the Italian Culture. It takes care of the living creativity. As the title of a recent documentary on David Lynch calls it, the art life.

- What’s the challenge with Artificial Intelligence?

- There’s been a lot of talk on Artificial Intelligence. Reading the news, sometimes it may turn scary or intimidating, but it is not indeed. The photography contest AI vs HI is the Institute’s initiative to put it in a human perspective and, at the same time, promote a cultural bridge between our Countries and more opportunity for artists in Albania and Kosovo. Artificial Intelligence is a super-software. The only thing missing, and it will always be missing, is the human creativity. It needs to be questioned to work, to be challenged. The objective of AI vs HI photography contest is to add creativity, beauty, unexpected, emotional and human imperfection to the apparently indisputable perfection of the Artificial Intelligence software. There’s nothing wrong with Artificial Intelligence. Let’s play with it.

- How about the new generation of creatives in Albania and Kosovo?

- If I may say so, it’s not different from everywhere else. Artists and creatives need opportunities, need to test their talent, day by day, in a productive link with contemporaneity. In Albania and Kosovo, you can find human qualities, ideas, motivation and crafting skills. Technical means are less easy to find, but it can’t be a limit. Cimabue or Giotto had worst technical means, didn’t they? With the contest, the Institute wants to put ideas and human capacity first. Creativity is everywhere and it’s up to the artist to make it real and bring it to the audience. No Artificial means may help in art without ideas and human, imperfect, free emotions.

- What should the participants do to join the contest?

- To participate is easy. Visit our website www.iictirana.esteri.it, see the AI selected pictures, read the contest regulation, choose your human feeling, faculty or emotion, create your original image and send it to the email contest@wildcreativeindustry.com. A jury will select the best pics. The winner will receive a three-days trip to Italy for a professional workshop at the photographic studio Allucinazione with the photographer Marco Biondi. The best pictures will have visibility on our webpages and in the framework of our cultural upcoming initiatives, such as exhibitions and events.

- It's definitely an opportunity. What are your expectations?

- Good ideas and photos. Let’s start.