How is AI adapted to ERAM university degrees?
Miquel Bisbe, director and founder of the University School of Arts ERAM – UdG, explains how he understands AI is changing the artistic sector and how university arts studies will adapt to the new technological and social context.
What do you think is the future of generative artificial intelligence?
What we have observed so far with this type of artificial intelligence is that it always offers responses based on things that already exist. This characteristic marks a significant difference between creating something new or having a unique personality, and the results provided by AI, which are limited to pre-existing information.
Therefore, what you can expect from artificial intelligence is more of the same: conventional, common, and predictable responses. In contrast, you cannot expect it to generate different, unexpected, or truly innovative results. Concepts such as divergence, lateral thinking, or creativity that goes beyond conventional limits fall outside the scope of what these tools can offer.
How should ERAM adapt to the increasing use of AI?
If we are an arts university and we want to prepare our students for the future, it is vital that we work to foster their ability to develop a unique personality and individual perspective, as well as the capacity to create with a distinctive approach compared to others.
This means that our curriculum should focus on training professionals who are not only competent but also capable of standing out for their originality and authenticity.
Do you think AI could eventually replace professionals in the artistic sector?
There is a big difference between allowing artificial intelligence to dominate you and being the one who dominates it. If a person has never read books or written anything and asks AI to generate a text, they will be entirely dependent on it. The text may be good, mediocre, or very poor, but this person will not have the tools to assess its quality because they lack the necessary context and prior knowledge to evaluate it. On the other hand, if someone has read, written, and has a solid background, they will be able to see how to improve the generated text and adapt it to their needs.
This highlights an important reality: if we want artificial intelligence to be truly useful and productive, we cannot rely on it entirely. We must be the ones to guide, direct, and control it.
To achieve this, it is essential that students understand and experience all creative and technical processes firsthand. Only in this way, when they ask AI for assistance, will they be able to judge whether the result is appropriate or not.
This is similar to using a calculator: we can perform complex calculations with it, but if we had never learned to add, subtract, multiply, or divide, we wouldn’t understand the results it provides. For example, if we multiplied 3 by 4 and got 1,200 as the result, we would only recognize it as incorrect because we know the basics of arithmetic. Without that prior knowledge, we would accept the result as valid without questioning it.
Based on these reflections, it is clear that we must focus on developing the most human aspects of students: transversal skills and soft skills. These abilities will be what truly help them differentiate themselves and thrive in a future dominated by technology.
What qualities do you think are especially important for ERAM students?
We need to train students who know how to work in teams, who have decision-making abilities, who are creative, and who become people capable of solving problems efficiently. These skills can only be developed by exposing them to practical projects where they learn to apply their knowledge in real and meaningful situations.
It is essential that artificial intelligence is integrated into our studies as a tool that helps improve productivity and enhance students’ capabilities, but always with the understanding that it should not dominate them or replace their own initiative. The goal is to prepare students to use technology as a resource for growth while maintaining control over the creative and decision-making process.
How do you think the performing arts sector should adapt to the latest AI developments?
If we think about the performing arts, they will continue to exist in the physical format we know today. Street performances, live shows, and any representation involving the presence of a person are still far from being replaced by robots. Moreover, it will take a long time before artificial intelligence can truly understand and convey human emotions in a genuine way.
However, AI will play an important role in the digital world of performing arts. In cinema, for example, we might see partial replacements: secondary or tertiary characters—those who simply complete a scene—could be created and managed by artificial intelligence. These types of mechanical tasks could be automated without major issues.
Even so, I firmly believe that lead roles—those requiring a deep understanding of emotions and the ability to express them authentically—will take much longer to be replicated by machines. After all, a machine cannot transmit emotions that it has not experienced or understood beforehand.
Therefore, the emotions that AI might attempt to convey will always depend on a person behind it, directing, guiding, and providing a human perspective. Creativity and innovation in the performing arts will still require human intervention to explore new forms of expression and maintain the depth and authenticity that these disciplines demand.
And applied to the professional fashion sector?
Fashion, in the end, is a highly manual discipline. While artificial intelligence will be able to assist in certain parts of the process, this assistance will be more focused on the initial stages or technical aspects. For example, AI will be useful for creating digital prototypes, quickly changing colors, visualizing shapes, simulating how fabrics will behave, or assembling pieces using 3D design software. In fact, many of these functions are already possible with current 3D tools.
However, I believe that the assembly and manual tailoring process will remain irreplaceable, especially for unique pieces. When it comes to creations requiring artisanal and personalized craftsmanship, the human hand will continue to dominate. On the other hand, everything related to mass production—such as uniforms, fashion items produced in large quantities, or high-volume consumer products—is more likely to be automated or replaced by machines and artificial intelligence.
Therefore, we must guide our students toward a path that values uniqueness and craftsmanship. They need to develop skills that set them apart, such as creativity, authenticity, and the ability to create pieces with a distinct identity. This will be their greatest advantage in an increasingly mechanized world.
And applied to the audiovisual and multimedia sector?
Here, we find an area where artificial intelligence has a direct and significant impact. This field is a combination of art and technology, and AI is already transforming many creative processes.
However, the key to training competent and relevant professionals is to develop individuals with their own judgment, capable of creating unique and innovative projects, with a profile that reflects a strong and authentic personality. This is what will truly make a difference. Students who go through our programs without working on this personal aspect—without defining who they want to be, where they want to go, and what they want to communicate—will likely struggle to find their place in the industry.
On the other hand, students who understand that the future lies in being different from the rest, who develop their own vision and have the courage to bring new ideas to the table, will be the ones who stand out. These professionals will not only master artificial intelligence as a tool at their service, but they will also create trends and new artistic movements that will not originate from technology, but rather from the human talent and creativity behind it.
In this sense, our goal is to help students build a strong foundation of technical knowledge while also enhancing their creativity and defining their own voice, as this is what will truly allow them to stand out in an increasingly automated world.
How will ERAM’s university degree programs adapt to the needs of the professional sector, considering AI as a new tool?
One of the most interesting aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) is its ability to increase productivity and eliminate routine tasks, which is especially relevant in the educational context. That’s why our vision is to integrate AI as a tool that serves both teachers and students, always adapting to each discipline and subject.
One of the most promising applications is personalized tutoring for students. AI will enable each student to learn at their own pace. How? By creating personalized tutors based on the content of each subject, capable of answering students’ questions at any time. This means that professors will no longer have to dedicate specific hours to answering the same recurring questions. Students will have access to this immediate assistance, making them more autonomous and facilitating their learning.
So, what will be the role of the professor? Educators will focus on aspects that go beyond routine tasks. Thanks to their experience, they will help students make connections and find creative solutions that artificial intelligence cannot provide. Thus, professors will remain essential in guiding students through specific problems, complex projects, and personalized development, offering unique and tailored guidance.
Regarding practical and creative aspects, AI will also be a key tool for improving productivity. For example, if designing a company logo used to take a significant amount of time, now, with the right instructions to AI, this process can be completed in minutes. This not only saves time but also allows students to explore more options and iterations in less time, accelerating the creative process.
This evolution will also mean that software programs will have to transform. Instead of relying solely on mouse clicks, future software will primarily function through verbal or written commands provided by the student. But here lies the crucial difference: students with strong internal resources, solid training, and creativity will be able to maximize these tools to create new and innovative things. In contrast, those with less background knowledge or personal judgment will be limited, as AI—no matter how powerful—depends on the quality of the instructions and ideas it receives.
Ultimately, AI will help us eliminate repetitive and unproductive tasks, allowing us to focus on what truly matters: ideas, creativity, and critical thinking. This integration will open up a range of opportunities to work faster and more efficiently, maximizing human talent and its ability to innovate.
What AI training are teachers currently receiving?
As an institution with 25 years of history, we have always worked with emerging technologies. When we started, the internet was almost nonexistent, very few people had email, and websites were a novelty. Over the years, we have adapted to multiple emerging technologies, understanding them as tools to work faster and more efficiently.
Currently, with the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), we are offering specific training to our teachers to ensure they understand these new tools and know how to integrate them effectively into their content and teaching methodologies.
The AI training includes:
- Understanding how AI tools work:
Teachers are being trained to understand how artificial intelligence works, especially in their respective fields. This includes tools for text creation, graphic design, video editing, image generation, and other technologies relevant to the disciplines taught at the school.
2. Integration into the curriculum:
They learn how to incorporate AI as a pedagogical tool within their subjects, helping students become more productive and efficient while maintaining creativity and developing independent judgment.
3. Detecting AI use by students:
We train professors to recognize when students use AI in their assignments and, more importantly, to assess whether they have used it correctly. The goal is not to penalize AI use but to teach students how to use it appropriately and ethically.
4. Establishing common guidelines:
We are working together to set clear rules on what students are allowed to do with AI and what they are not. This includes ensuring that they first learn manual processes before moving on to automation. In this way, we guarantee that students develop a deep understanding and do not rely exclusively on automated tools.
Our philosophy is that technology, including artificial intelligence, should be a tool to enhance creativity rather than a substitute for knowledge and skills. That’s why we train teachers to strike a balance between manual and automated processes in their teaching.
While AI allows students to work faster and produce more in less time, we consider it essential that they develop a strong foundation of knowledge and independent judgment, enabling them to use technological tools in an intelligent and creative way.
In short, we are training our teachers to be leaders in the implementation of emerging technologies, ensuring that our students receive an up-to-date and competitive education in an increasingly digital and automated world.
Have you encountered resistance from students or teachers regarding the application of AI?
In general, we have not observed significant resistance from either teachers or students when incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into learning processes. Both faculty and students have shown an open and proactive attitude toward this technology, understanding it as a useful tool to facilitate work and increase productivity.
The resistance does not come from people but from the technology itself. Currently, generative AI still has important limitations. While its great potential is often discussed, the reality is that, as of today, this technology is still unable to fully meet certain specific needs.
It is likely that this situation will change in the short term, given the speed at which AI is evolving. Possibly, in a year or even less, AI tools will be more robust and mature, allowing them to overcome current shortcomings and make a qualitative leap in their usefulness.
Our long history of working with emerging technologies has taught us that resistance is usually more about adapting to the actual capabilities of the technology rather than opposition to its use. In this case, there has been no active resistance; on the contrary, both teachers and students have shown a willingness to explore and integrate these tools.
Once AI is fully capable of meeting expectations, it will become a key component of our educational and professional environment. In the meantime, we continue to train ourselves and experiment with it to make the most of its current capabilities and stay prepared for the future.
How do you imagine the university ten years from now, assuming AI will still exist?
Ten years from now, with artificial intelligence fully integrated into our daily lives, universities will have undergone a radical transformation. It won’t be a space overloaded with software or specific tools but rather an environment focused on discovery, research, and innovation.
I envision a university where traditional tools will have disappeared. Instead, each student will have an intelligent virtual assistant capable of responding to any instruction. This assistant will be able to automate complex tasks, eliminating the need to learn how to use specific tools or manual processes.
With this automation, the focus will shift from “how to use the tools” to “what we want to create and why we want to do it.”
The university of the future will be a place filled with:
- Laboratories: Spaces to experiment with new technologies, methodologies, and ideas.
- Workshops: Places to materialize concepts and test things that have never been done before.
- Collaborative environments: Areas to explore new trends and work with other students and professionals on innovative projects.
This will be where creativity and an innovative spirit are fostered, helping students explore new paths and develop ideas that push their disciplines forward.
The role of teachers will change significantly. They will no longer spend time teaching how to use specific tools because these will be fully automated. Instead, their role will be to:
- Act as mentors, helping students discover their path, find their purpose, and explore new horizons.
- Guide students with questions like: “Why don’t you explore this path?” or “What if you try this other idea?”
- Provide critical thinking, experience, and a vision that goes beyond what artificial intelligence can offer.
This university will always be at the forefront, exploring new trends and leading the way toward the future. It will be a place where:
- Students won’t just learn but will discover and experiment.
- The search for what makes each person unique and different will be encouraged.
- A new generation of professionals will be trained—capable of mastering technology but with a human and creative vision that cannot be automated.
In short, the university of the future will be a space for creativity and exploration, where artificial intelligence won’t be the goal but rather the tool that allows us to go beyond what we ever imagined.
