An artificial intelligence meetup scheduled at Art House Café on Somerset Street was cancelled after fierce online backlash from artists and customers who accused the popular arts hub of giving a platform to a technology that many see as a threat to creative work.
Event Details and Cancellation
The event, called "Saturday AI Club," had been scheduled for June 13 at the coffee shop. Screenshots obtained by the Ottawa Citizen showed it was promoted as "a relaxed afternoon for people building with AI, or just curious about it, to work on a project, compare notes, and ask questions." The post described it as "a monthly drop-in meetup in Ottawa for people building with AI and people just curious about it."
Art House Café on Somerset Street regularly hosts concerts and community events and showcases the work of local artists. The controversy struck a nerve because Art House is more than a coffee shop; the Somerset Street mansion has become a popular date spot in Centretown.
Owner's Response
Geneviève Bétournay, owner and artistic director of Art House Cafe, wrote in one of two statements posted after the backlash: "We heard you loud and clear. Our intention with accepting to host this event was never to endorse the use of AI to replace human creativity or artistry. Rather, we wanted to remain open to facilitating conversations around something that is becoming very prevalent and that is not likely to go away."
In a second statement, the café stressed that it "does not support the use of generative AI" and announced plans to create new policies after discussions with staff. The business said it would develop "an action plan to establish comprehensive policies that will inform decision making to help keep Art House a safe space for our community."
Oversight Acknowledged
Bétournay said she approved the booking after being approached by organizers who presented it as an open discussion space rather than an instructional workshop. "It was supposed to be kind of an opportunity for people to gather, to talk about and explore AI. There were no prerequisites in terms of skill levels or interest or even specific opinions. It was kind of like all are welcome," she said.
Still, Bétournay said she underestimated how the event would be perceived by a community that included many artists worried about AI's impact on creative work. "There was an oversight. We could have anticipated that this would be very disruptive to people in our audience and that we need to approach these kinds of things that might be sensitive topics with more consideration," she added.
