Trish Gianakis: Where Art, Technology & Humanity Meet

What happens when an artist embraces artificial intelligence without surrendering the human experience at the heart of the work? In this episode of The Artist Remains, artist and curator P. E. Pinkman talks with award-winning immersive artist and educator Trish Gianakis, whose practice moves between traditional and emerging media—from painting and raku sculpture to augmented reality, virtual environments, 3D modeling, digital art, and AI. Gianakis has been exploring the intersection of art and technology since the early days of interactive digital art. But for her, technology has never been the subject in itself. It is another tool—another way of telling stories rooted in transformation, identity, emotion, survival, and the human experience. In this wide-ranging conversation, Gianakis discusses how art helped her process deeply personal experiences; why she began working with AI as early as 2021; and how she integrates AI into her practice while maintaining her own artistic voice and control over the finished work. We also explore the ethics of AI-generated art, protecting artists' work from appropriation, the continuing importance of traditional skills, and Gianakis's belief that handmade art may actually become more valuable as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of producing images and objects. Gianakis also takes us inside her immersive practice—from translucent fabric installations and augmented reality to her ambitious America 250 augmented reality art and history project, including Echoes of Freedom, an AR exhibition featuring artists from around the world. And for artists wondering whether they need to embrace AI, Gianakis offers a refreshingly simple piece of advice: don't be intimidated—and don't use AI simply because you think you have to. The Artist Remains explores creativity, consciousness, authenticity, and human connection in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. In this conversation: Trish Gianakis on art and technology AI as an artistic tool rather than an artistic identity Maintaining authorship in AI-assisted work The ethics of artificial intelligence and appropriation Why physical and handmade art may gain value Augmented reality and immersive art Women in technology and digital art America 250 and Echoes of Freedom Why an artist's individual voice still matters A Note on AI: In keeping with the subject of The Artist Remains, I believe in being transparent about my own use of artificial intelligence. I use ChatGPT as an editorial and production assistant—helping me organize, edit, and refine descriptions and other written material associated with these interviews. The interviews, questions, perspectives, and final editorial decisions remain my own. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: XXOGZMIF9LLPNPXO