Colin Galbraith DESMA Week3

After reviewing this week's lecture, it is interesting to consider how industrialization has influenced art and robots by enabling globalization. An example brought up in the lecture was the Gutenberg printing press, which made art more accessible (Venesa). Walter Benjamin noted in "The Work of Art in the Mechanical Age of Reproduction" that the accessibility made possible by the Gutenberg printing press was essential for removing the elitism of art (Benjamin). 

Replica of the Gutenberg printing press.

Industrialization is also responsible for the widespread accessibility of technology. The pervasive use of cell phones, the internet, and automation have transformed how people make art and interact with the environment (Trueman). Specifically, mobile tech lets artists be more spontaneous, removes equipment barriers, and allows creators and consumers to communicate instantly (Trueman).

This collaboration between art and technology also underlies the development of robots. I recently watched a YouTube video from Boston Dynamics. I was impressed but a little scared by their dexterity and their real-time ability to react to a changing environment (Boston Dynamics). 

Boston Dynamics latest robot.

I am becoming increasingly aware of how pervasive AI has become. It is incorporated into many aspects of previously unexpected design. For example, my parents got a new oven--Alexa can turn it on from any room. I am convinced that AI will revolutionize the world, like the printing press and the internet. 

The use of AI is giving artists the ability to create works that weren't previously possible (Hencz). For example, AI programs like ChatGTP can generate new designs, automate repetitive tasks, and even more impressive AI like DALL-E-2 create new images from scratch given a prompt. 

Fake image made with AI from prompt "grandma's crochet tank".

However, this technology potentially disenfranchises artists, especially when its models are trained on artists' work (Metz). This can lead to a homogenization of artistic styles and a need for more diversity in the art world. Moreover, some artists may feel that using AI in art production undermines their creative abilities and reduces the value of the human element of their work.

Example of how AI can turn rudimentary inputs into photoreal images.

Ultimately, the relationship between art and technology will continue to evolve. As such, we must ethically use these tools to enhance creative abilities rather than replace them. 

References:

“Dall·E 2.” DALL·E 2, https://openai.com/product/dall-e-2.

Davis, Douglas. “The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis: 1991-1995).” Leonardo, vol. 28, no. 5, 1995, pp. 381–86. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1576221. Accessed 22 Apr. 2023.

“Do You Love Me?” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Dec. 2020,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn3KWM1kuAw.

Dynamics, Boston. “Atlas | Partners in Parkour.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 Aug. 2021,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF4DML7FIWk&ab_channel=BostonDynamics.

Hencz, Adam. “Ai Art and How Machines Have Expanded Human Creativity.” Artland

Magazine, 10 Feb. 2023, https://magazine.artland.com/ai-art/.

“Introducing Chatgpt.” Introducing ChatGPT, https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt.

Metz, Rachel. “These Artists Found out Their Work Was Used to Train AI. Now They're Furious

| CNN Business.” CNN, Cable News Network, 21 Oct. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/21/tech/artists-ai-images/index.html.

“R/Worldoftanks - Grandma Offers Crochet Armor to Russia, Light Weight, Choice of Colors

and Similar Protection to Those 50s/60s Era Tanks.” Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/WorldofTanks/comments/12bu3qw/grandma_offers_crochet_armor_to_russia_light/.

Trueman, Matt. “How Mobile Tech Is Changing the Way We Make and Enjoy Art.” The

Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 Nov. 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/2014/nov/11/-sp-mobile-tech-art-shakespeare-google-glass.

Vesna, V. (n.d.). Industrialization, Robotics Kinetic/robotic art. Lecture. UCLA Desma 9 Week 3 2023