Yogyakarta, July 20, 2026—The focus of the Australia–Indonesia in Conversation (AIC) 2026 event at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) UGM shifted from the politics of knowledge to a fundamental human existential issue: how imagination and aesthetics endure amidst the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The second panel session, held on Monday afternoon in the Dean’s Meeting Room, was titled “Sustaining Imagination: Eco-Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Ethics of Intelligent Futures.”
Unlike the previous session, which addressed the governance of power, this panel explored perspectives on human creativity, ethics, and ecological sustainability. In his opening remarks, UGM FISIPOL Dean Wawan Mas’udi emphasized the importance of discussing AI’s influence on human imagination within an ethical and ecologically conscious framework. “This panel invites us to reflect on how technological innovation can support—rather than replace—human imagination, while upholding ethical responsibilities and ecological awareness,” he stated.
The discussion featured an expert from the University of Melbourne, Associate Professor Edwin Jurriens, who is renowned for his research in media arts, eco-aesthetics, and cultural adaptation amidst climate and digital changes.
In his presentation, Jurriens cautioned that if AI is not managed with ecological and ethical awareness, digital technology risks becoming a new instrument that exacerbates inequality, rather than serving as a space for equitable collective imagination. “The appropriation of biodiversity and knowledge represents the final step in a series of processes of control that began with the advent of colonialism. Land and forests were the first resources to be seized and transformed from communal assets into commodities. Subsequently, water resources were brought under control through dam construction, groundwater exploitation, and privatization schemes. Now, it is the turn of biodiversity and knowledge to be appropriated through intellectual property rights,” he asserted.
This event, organized through a collaboration between FISIPOL UGM and the University of Melbourne, aims to foster a shared ethical commitment—particularly toward building a digital future that is not only smart but also equitable and sustainable. A media kit and full event documentation are available on the official website provided by the organizers.
Kirim masukan