Recent developments in Machine Learning platforms like Dall-E and Midjourney have created a frenzy around 'AI art'. While media outlets question whether AI will replace artists, this interdisciplinary course focuses instead on situating Machine Learning within a larger history of generative art. In this introductory course, we will unpack some of the commonly used terms surrounding Machine Learning and consider the historical relationship between machines and creativity. We will also learn about networks of human labor, ecological resources, and funding structures behind Machine Learning. In addition to readings, students will think through these issues by working with Machine Learning in a hands-on way. Students will spend the semester working slowly and intentionally to prepare a dataset of images that will be used to create their own Machine Learning model. No prior coding experience is required and students will not be evaluated on their technical ability. Instead, we will use the process of designing a dataset and building a model as a catalyst for discussing more ethical and nuanced approaches to thinking with and about machines, and how these approaches might translate across disciplines. This course is cross-listed with Experimental Humanities.
Class Drive: Google Drive| Week # | Theme | Assigned Reading(s)/Listening(s) | Assignment |
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| Week 1: Sep 8 |
Class Overview, Ancient Intelligence. |
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| Week 2: Sep 15 |
Chance & Protocol: Early Generative Art and Literature |
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| Week 3: Sep 22 |
Chatbots and Generative text *Blog post topic due |
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| Week 4: Sep 29 |
Generative Adversarial Networks *Guest Speaker - Liliana Farber |
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| Week 5: Oct 6 |
Data, The internet |
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| Week 6: Oct 13 |
Data Labor |
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| Week 7: Oct 20 |
Classification, Taxonomies, Computer Vision, Machine Evaluation *Datasheet due |
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| Week 8: Oct 27 |
Facial Recognition, Identity, Surveillance |
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| Week 9: Nov 3 |
Deepfakes |
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| Week 10: Nov 10 |
Writing Images, Text to Image Models *Guest Speaker Minne Atairu |
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| Week 11: Nov 17 |
AI optimism vs idealism in creative practices, with special focus on Music
*Guest Speaker - Max Alper @la_meme_young |
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| Nov 24 - Thanksgiving | |||
| Week 12: Dec 1 |
The Digital is Physical: Environmental Impact *Blog Post Due |
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| Week 13: Dec 8 |
The Digital is Physical: Environmental Impact | *Field Trip TBD *If you want me to help you train a model on your dataset before the final presentation, you need to have your dataset done (or at least 500 images) |
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| Week 14: Dec 15 |
Final Day, presentations due | ||
| Week 15: Dec 22 |
Optional online class |