Jean-Michel Jarre on tech democratizing art at MEET Digital Culture Center

French musician Jean-Michel Jarre (Lyon, 1948) spoke at the fifth edition of The New Atlas of Digital Art conference at MEET Digital Culture Center in Milan. He praised MEET and its founder Maria Grazia Mattei for creating a unique port for artists, and called for stronger government support for such institutions in Italy and Europe. Jarre argued that technology dictates styles, not vice versa, comparing AI to the invention of the violin. He sees the metaverse as a tool for accessibility, citing his Christmas concert at Versailles where a tetraplegic girl from Manchester attended via avatar. He warned against Europe's reliance on American and Chinese platforms for distribution, calling for technological autonomy to avoid being 'digitally colonized.' On AI regulation, he distinguished rules from regulations, supporting the EU's AI Act as a way to set ethical guidelines and protect cultural diversity. He emphasized that new technologies can democratize art by enabling virtual galleries and theaters, and that young generations can discover art through familiar tools like video games.