Call for papers, pictorials and videos: Explainable AI for the Arts (XAIxArts 4) Workshop

[Shuoyang Jasper Zheng]

The 4th international workshop on Explainable AI for the Arts (XAIxArts 4) at the ACM Creativity and Cognition conference 2026 is now accepting papers, pictorials and videos!

We bring together and expand a community of researchers and creative practitioners in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interaction Design, AI, eXplainable AI (XAI), and Digital Arts to explore the role of XAI for the Arts. XAI is a key concern of Responsible and Human-Centred AI, emphasising HCI techniques that make opaque AI models more understandable to people. XAIxArts offers a distinctive lens to examine explainability through creative and artistic domains. Our previous workshops explored the landscape and the speculative futures of AI in creative processes. The 4th workshop focuses on the operationalisation of XAI in the Arts. Specifically, we will:
 - ‎Critically reflect on emerging practices that encourage diversity and inclusivity in XAI.
 - ‎Collectively ideate a library of missing projects to encourage future collaborations and speculations.
 - ‎Scope the development of a resource hub for open XAIxArts projects to archive tangible XAI interventions and facilitate future community building with the wider discourse on Human-Centred AI.

Important Information
XAIxArts 4 will be held at the ACM Creativity and Cognition Conference 2026
 - ‎Submission Deadline: Thursday 23rd April, 2026, 23:59 AoE
 - Notifications: Thursday 14th May, 2026
 - Workshop Date: Monday 13th July, 2026
 - Venue: In-person, London, UK. It will be hosted at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London.

Call for Participation
To participate in the workshop, your submission should tell us about your XAI and/or Arts research and practice addressing the themes. Please visit our website for information on submission requirements: https://xaixarts.github.io/2026. We welcome the following categories:
 - Paper (maximum 4 pages)
 - Pictorial (maximum 4 pages)
 - Video (maximum 5 minutes)

Themes
This workshop will explore how XAI might be used in the Arts and how the Arts might contribute to new forms of XAI. It will examine the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of XAI and the Arts, offering a fresh and critical view on the explainable aspects of Responsible AI and Human-Centred AI more broadly. Please visit our website for more information on the themes: https://xaixarts.github.io/2026, which include but are not limited to:
 - Beyond XAI as Tools
 - XAI in Creativity Support
 - Practice-Based and Critical Views on XAI
 - Empowerment, Inclusion, and Fairness
 - Openness for XAI

Organizing Committee
Shuoyang Jasper Zheng (Co-Chair), Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Terence Broad (Co-Chair), University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
Elizabeth Wilson, University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
Adam Cole, University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
Ziqing Xu, University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
Jia-Rey Chang, Queen’s University Belfast, United Kingdom
Gabriel Vigliensoni, Concordia University, Canada
Jeba Rezwana, Towson University, USA
Lanxi Xiao, Tsinghua University, China
Michael Clemens, Independent Researcher, USA
Makayla Lewis, Kingston University, United Kingdom
Alan Chamberlain, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
Helen Kennedy, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
Corey Ford, University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
Nick Bryan-Kinns, University of the Arts London, United Kingdom

Website
https://xaixarts.github.io/2026