TLDR: University College London (UCL) and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) are co-hosting a two-day conference at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. Titled ‘Generative AI and the Future of Learning and Making,’ the event will explore how AI-driven imitation influences architectural learning and creation, bringing together diverse experts to discuss generative design, data politics, and embodied intelligence.
The 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale will feature a significant two-day conference, ‘Generative AI and the Future of Learning and Making,’ organized collaboratively by The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), and the Media x Design Lab, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2025, at Ca’ Giustinian, the conference aims to critically examine the profound implications of generative artificial intelligence for the future of architectural education and creative practice.
The core premise of the conference acknowledges that generative AI, rather than creating from a void, produces new expressions by drawing upon curated collections of existing precedents. This process inherently perpetuates and reinforces established traditions and canons within design. The event will therefore ‘interrogate the implications of AI-driven imitation for the future of learning and creation.’
The conference will convene a multidisciplinary group of professionals, including architects, neuroscientists, roboticists, philosophers, media artists, historians, and theorists. Their collective expertise will be leveraged to ‘rethink intelligence beyond imitation—toward forms of learning grounded in matter, space, and life itself.’
Discussions will unfold across three interconnected areas of investigation: the current state of generative design within architecture, the political dimensions of data and its epistemic consequences, and the emerging paradigms of new, embodied forms of intelligence. Ultimately, the conference seeks to explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the methodologies of learning, designing, and making in the built environment.
‘Beyond Imitation’ is also envisioned as a broader research platform that will extend beyond the conference itself. The initiative is directed by a distinguished team: Mario Carpo and Lidia Gasperoni from The Bartlett, UCL, and Jeffrey Huang from EPFL. No pre-registration is required for attendees.
Conference Schedule Highlights:
Day 1 (November 14, 2025):
15:00: Opening Remarks by Jeffrey Huang (EPFL) and Mario Carpo & Lidia Gasperoni (UCL).
15:15: Panel 1 – ‘Generative AI in Architecture: State of the Art,’ curated by Mario Carpo (The Bartlett, UCL) and Jeffrey Huang (EPFL). Panelists include Matias del Campo (TU Wien / NYIT), Immanuel Koh (Singapore University of Technology and Design), Kyle Steinfeld (UC Berkeley), and Mark Wilson-Jones (University of Cambridge).
18:00: Keynote address by Refik Anadol, a renowned AI artist based in Los Angeles.
Day 2 (November 15, 2025):
Also Read:
- Foyr Unveils AI Hub to Revolutionize Interior Design and Home Remodeling with Generative Capabilities
- LinkedIn to Begin Default AI Training with User Data on November 3, 2025: How to Opt Out
10:00: Panel 2 – ‘Politics of Datasets: Invisible Influences and…’ (further details on this panel’s full title and participants are expected).
