no. 03
SERIAL EXPERIMENT

Month: October 2024

Categories
reflection Secondary Research Unit 4

Reflecting on my Goals | Artists & AI

Originally written on 13th Oct. 2024

As the year draws to a close and a chill enters the air, I sit down with some hard questions about the goals I hope to achieve with my project. The name, ‘serial experiment no.3’ is symbolic of my third iteration in life. My first experiment was my BA when I pursued fashion design and this was almost 15 years ago. My second experiment was when I decided to pursue my own creator business in India and my MA here at CSM is my third. As the end of my MA gets closer, I wanted to reflect on the impact I’d like to make. My research into Artists and AI has always been to look at the cultural impact of the technology. When envisioning the end use of generative neural netrwork technology as a commercial tool (as it has been intended by its makers) we can see it’s use by companies in the not so far future. As my research as indicated, this is not a magic box and requires human input and expertise to use effectively. Who will be sitting at this system when it is widely adopted? It will probably be an artist or designer. Companies shifting someone from accounting or development to this space is highly unlikely. I spoke to an employee of the company Acer and they confirmed that training has been extended to this who already fulfil creative roles in marketing. Upon application, it is still an artists or designer, or content writer who is expected to fulfil this role. This technology has not replaced the need of such expertise in creative segments of corporations. 

When the end user continues to be visual artists, it is more important than ever that they explore the technology and have a say in its future direction. As stakeholders, the voice of the creative community has largely been overshadowed by those of developers and governments. My goal is to highlight the importance of including creative voices moving forward. The casual user of text-to-image or image-to-video are also people who enjoy the creative aspect of the technology. Many casual users have not been artists before, but with this new tool have become one. What I have noticed through the many interviews I have conducted, is that these artists have something to say. There is a niche to their approach towards generative technology. What is art if not that? What is an artists if not someone who engages in it? The aim of my project thus, is to demystify parts of this discourse and encourage artists to engage in the wider conversation. As primary stakeholders, it is important for me that that their voices are highlighted.

Categories
reflection Unit 4

Reflections | 6th October

Originally written on 06th Oct. 2024

This week has been rather hectic for me. I am learning a lot about how to have patience and prioritise my personal well being. Following disagreements with a fellow student, I have decided to concentrate on my project. With two months left in this course, I believe that petty quarrels are not worth pursuing, rather the most I can take away from this experience is what will be important in the end. As I look back at my time here, there is much I have achieved and a few pursuits that fell into the background. As I move forward I would like to use this month of October to revive some of these side project for myself (in addition to my main project).

My research on generative AI as a tool for artists is also bearing fruit and has taken on two distinct sides. On one side, I am looking at the past – Utilising generative AI to resurrect memories that make us who we are. On the other hand, is the utilisation of AI for artist development. What I need to do, I believe is to choose a direction to move forward in for the next two months. To achieve this, I will look back at my journey over the last year and try to decipher the natural direction the research is moving in. Similar to my project hypothesis, it can be hard to see where you are going unless you look back at where you have come from. Often new discoveries can lead to unexpected avenues. While this might be helpful to grow in the long run, I would like to first consider the short time period ahead of me. Beyond December, there is always the potential to follow other new and exciting directions.

Categories
Intervention Unit 4

Iterating the Intervention

Originally written on 20th Sep. 2024

Following feedback from my previous intervention, I feel the need to create a more effective path. Reflecting on some of the success and shortcomings of the wall of memories, I have decided that the next iteration should be more process based. A static intervention has been useful, but to truly study my topic, I need a longer process with personal involvement from artists. Instead of working with a wall, I want to work with a less tangible learning experience. This should allow for a more in depth look at some of the possibilities of using generative AI. The voice of artists is the development of this technology is still limited, perhaps this process could help explore some aspects of how this technology can be appropriated by them for their creative practice.

In order to execute this, my plan is as follows:

  • Induction – Hold a roundtable with participants and discuss their views on the topic. Engaged conversation on how to feel and what they want to explore as part of this process.
  • Introduction – Provide participants with tools and guidelines on how to use generative AI. And Introduction to the terms associated and link to a free website.
  • Exploration – Allow a fixed schedule to play with the tools provided. This will allow them to familiarise themselves with the tools and develop a unique language of their own prior to external prompts.
  • Initial Feedback – A second round of discussions around the learning during the exploration phase. This would also allow me to tailor prompts to the individual participants.
  • Guided Discovery – Based on the feedback gathered, I will provide a set of prompts of discovery that the artists will work on using generative AI. The hope is that the iterative nature of AI will allow them to go beyond the prompts provided.
  • Showcase – A display of the work by the individual artists. This would provide an “outcome” to centre the intervention. It would also help serve as a community sharing and building exercise.
  • Final Feedback – A final roundtable to conclude the process. Share stories of our journey and give feedback on the overall intervention.

Ethical considerations:

  • I will need to ensure that the wellbeing of the participants is kept at the forefront at all times, this includes but may not be limited to ensuring that traumatic or triggering topics are avoided.
  • I will need to ensure that the extent of the project is clear and inclusive from the start so that the participants have a clear understanding of what to expect.
  • I also need to ensure that the participants are willing and available, without feeling any pressure to participate. Participation in the intervention should not put stress on their everyday life.
  • Finally, I need to ensure that certain sensitivity guidelines are provided to ensure that hate speech and offensive content is not present in the outcome of the intervention.
Categories
reflection Unit 4

Unit 4 | Update

Originally written on 14th September 2024

Unit 4 started one day before my 32nd birthday. I am looking forward to the in campus tutorials up ahead. Currently my research has looked into the past and how it influences us. If generative AI can be used to revive and refresh the memories buried in the minds of artists that influence them. My collaboration is currently on hold, so I am taking this time to look into some reading on the subject and familiarising myself with the work of artists who are using AI as a medium. I will be posting more on those subject in the future and I have had time to absorb, reflect and interpret the research. Next week, I will be looking to iterate my intervention and see how I can make it more impactful for my stakeholders.