‘Symbiosis or Schism? The AI-Human Odyssey’ Opens at Community Arts Workshop

There is no way around it: AI is everywhere. The question now is whether to embrace it, or run. Peter Brill has decided to do a little bit of both; or rather, he’s running — just toward this new technology. “AI is both a threat and opportunity,” says Brill, who serves as the Brill Family Foundation founder. 

That dichotomy is the question asked of guests at the Brill Family Foundation’s newest activation, Symbiosis or Schism? The AI-Human Odyssey. An AI art exhibit hosted at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW), the event has both artists and guests pondering whether AI should be embraced or rejected.

The exhibit might feel like any other art gallery exhibit — and in fact, it’ll be open for the 1st Thursday Art Walk in October, but Symbiosis or Schism? is anything but traditional. It’s the first-of-its-kind art exhibit in Santa Barbara to showcase the collaboration between humans and AI.

It’s fitting then that the October 2 opening reception will serve as a sort of kickoff to Santa Barbara’s inaugural Brave New Work, an art and tech symposium happening October 7-9. Opening the exhibit will be Santa Barbara mayor Randy Rowse, followed by two speakers with opposing perspectives on AI. The first, Keith Weissglass, director of operations at an AI safety research center in the Bay Area, will discuss the potential threats of this new technology. Then Ulrike Kerber, author of The Best AI Tools for Designers and an artist with work in the show, will dive into the opportunities. 

This exploration of how humanity and technology can work together may be new for Santa Barbara, but it’s an age-old conundrum. In the 1970s, former painter Harold Cohen developed a software he named AARON to collaborate on his work. In 2024, the Whitney Museum of American Art hosted a collection from Cohen’s early days exploring the potential around human-technology collaboration. And in 2023, ARTECHOUSE N.Y.C. in Chelsea Market debuted a digital art exhibition, titled World of AI·magination, which celebrated the collaboration between “human creativity and artificial imagination.”  

The number of submissions for the exhibit, which were collected in August, astounded the committee. “It was really fascinating to see all the ways AI was being used,” says Oriana Sanders, executive director of the Brill Family Foundation.

The opening reception will also serve as an introduction to what the Brill Family Foundation is calling a “learning cell.” In it, the exhibit’s committee — which includes Brill and his wife, Karen; Sanders; Nathan Vonk, owner of Sullivan Goss Gallery; James Glisson, PhD, Chief Curator at Santa Barbara Museum of Art; and Simon Quiroz, Assistant Professor Art & Media at Channel Islands — will work with a group of selected artists to discover new ways humans and technology can work together. “We’re hoping that this group will lift the whole field of AI and develop a support group for creating outstanding, inspirational work and increasing the general knowledge of all fields,” says Brill. 

The hope, Sanders says, is an unfolding of AI in society. She shared the Brill Family Foundation’s official statement on this new legacy: 

“AI art is vital for humanity’s future, because it merges creativity with technology, enabling new forms of expression, accessibility, and innovation. It empowers diverse voices, enhances cultural evolution, and inspires problem solving through imagination. By expanding artist possibilities, AI art strengthens human creativity and drives progress in education, society and industries.”

Like so many other Brill Family Foundation efforts, the “learning cell” follows the organization’s universal direction toward progressive ventures. “The Brill Family Foundation has had many iterations,” says Brill. There’s been a Third Age Foundation, which facilitated workshops for people in the third stage of life, an impact investing conference, a series of grants for “future benders” and the more recent VR application titled Beautiful Journey.

Symbiosis or Schism? The AI-Human Odyssey opens October 2 and runs through October 12. The work of 13 artists from Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles will be presented. The opening reception is from 5:30-8:30 p.m., and the exhibit is open to the public. For information on the exhibit, or artists being showcased, check out peterbrill.net/ai-art-exhibition. To learn more about the foundation, visit peterbrill.net/brill-family-foundation.