Improbable PhD
“The pioneer scientist must have … an artistically creative imagination.”
— Max Planck, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1918
Artificial intelligence is beginning to challenge one of science’s most deeply held assumptions: that the discovery of knowledge is exclusively a human endeavor.
In mathematics, recent advances such as AlphaProof and AI-assisted work on Erdős problems suggest that machines become active participants in mathematical discovery.
These developments invite us to reflect on what it means to do a PhD. Where does scientific creativity reside when a machine can propose an original idea or uncover a result?
What becomes the role of human imagination, intuition, judgment, and interpretation? And how should we rethink the formation of researchers, and the experience of the PhD, in this changing landscape?
We are delighted to invite you to an exhibition showcasing the artistic work created by participants in the Art Thinking course, part of the PhD programme at ESCP.
Over two days, participants immersed themselves in the Improbable seminar, discovering and applying the Art Thinking method, a dynamic approach that invites us to think and work like artists.
Through this process, they developed original proposals that challenge us to reimagine the PhD experience and the future of scientific research.
Prepare to be inspired, surprised, and perhaps unsettled as you explore these creative works. We look forward to welcoming you to this stimulating and improbable vernissage.
Pr. Sylvain Bureau
Scientific Director, Improbable Chair by Galeries Lafayette
Image: art piece created during an Improbable seminar