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Responsible Digital Practices in the Cultural Sector is a series of four annual webinars exploring the impact of digital tools on cultural work. As the cultural field increasingly relies on digital infrastructure for communication, production, and dissemination, the series offers a space for practical learning, shared reflection and collective action.
Led by Aerowaves, in collaboration with the European Dance Development Network and Versopolis, and curated by independent environmental consultant David Irle, each webinar combines concrete guidance with collective discussion. Moving from everyday practices towards broader systemic questions, the sessions contribute to a shared checklist of sustainable digital practices for artists, producers, festival teams, administrators and cultural leaders.
The second webinar focuses on artificial intelligence, approaching this rapidly evolving topic through the practical questions it raises for cultural professionals. AI is already embedded in many of the digital environments in which we work, bringing promises, challenges, and potential pitfalls. As more tools and services incorporate AI, its presence increasingly shapes everyday practices, including when adopting it has not been a conscious choice. Understanding its implications therefore becomes an essential part of responsible digital work.
At the centre of the session are several pressing questions: What is the environmental footprint of AI? What options do we have to control or reduce those impacts? Which tools are less harmful, and how can we make informed choices between them? Can we regulate certain uses, set limits within our organisations, or decide to avoid particular tools altogether?
Starting from these questions, the webinar examines how cultural professionals can approach AI with greater awareness and a clearer sense of their options. It invites participants to consider the relationship between the usefulness of a tool and its environmental impact, to question assumptions about the necessity of its use, and to reflect on where meaningful choices remain possible. Decisions about adopting, limiting, or declining AI become part of a wider discussion about how cultural organisations can align their digital practices with their environmental commitments.
The session was led by David Irle, an independent environmental consultant specialising in the ecological transition of the cultural sector. He is co-author, with Anaïs Roesch and Samuel Valensi, of Décarboner la culture, which examines the challenges of reducing the cultural sector’s environmental impact.
Responsible Digital Practices in the Cultural Sector is part of Aerowaves’ Sustainable Action Plan and Environmental Policy, reflecting an ongoing commitment to more sustainable and responsible cultural work.
This webinar was supported by Culture Ireland. The session was recorded via Zoom by Miha Turk on 6 October 2026. The recording offers a starting point for understanding the environmental dilemmas surrounding AI and considering the practical choices available to cultural professionals and organisations.
