Paulo Mariano discusses human decision-making in the age of AI

In a lecture adapted from the MAD STARS 2026 creativity festival in Busan, South Korea, senior art director Paulo Mariano explores the distinction between automated repetition and intentional human decision-making.

Using the works of Kim Whanki and Ai Weiwei as examples, Mariano highlights how artists create variation within repetition. He notes that while Kim Whanki’s hand-painted blue dots and Ai Weiwei’s millions of handmade porcelain seeds may appear as uniform masses from a distance, they reveal unique, individual details upon closer inspection.

Mariano argues that despite the vast technological capabilities available in 2026, much of modern output lacks this essential human variation. He advocates for protecting the impulse to make deliberate, individual choices even when such effort is not explicitly required.