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Design with Extended Intelligences

Project: Group 5

Dot-Tod Camera

Regarding the Dot-Tod Camera web, we found it fascinating to explore how artificial intelligence struggles to grasp the concept of trash. Instead of simply replicating and redesigning the trash image in various ways, it consistently reassessed the trash and transformed it into a functional object. Moreover, providing additional context to implicit images proved challenging. For instance, after feeding it the robotic arm image, it could only generate designs related to robotic arms, making it difficult to broaden its understanding without significantly expanding the prompt.

We also delved into how artificial intelligence translates modern concepts, like cameras and plastic bags, into historical contexts, such as creating an image from the Middle Ages.

This exercise revealed the boundaries of artificial intelligence, including its struggles with copyright concepts and its programmed reluctance to engage with prompts involving nudity or explicit content. Additionally, we were intrigued by its newfound ability to manipulate text and its reflective capacity to reinterpret present objects into past forms.

Overall, the project provided valuable insights into the capabilities and limitations of artificial intelligence, prompting us to reconsider how we interact and engage with this technology in our creative endeavors.

ModMatrix

In the ModMatrix exercise, we had two projects that caught our interest. Working with this tool was incredibly intriguing and greatly facilitated our work. We all shared a common desire to delve deeper into artificial intelligence and explore its multifaceted capabilities.

Firstly, we engaged in an exercise where we generated an image, and from that image, the artificial intelligence had to detect reasons why the analyzed space might induce anxiety. Subsequently, it would produce an audio track tailored to help relax the viewer based on the context of the image.

Secondly, we explored predicting various futures to assist policymakers in understanding potential outcomes based on the laws they’re crafting. Ultimately, ModMatrix proved to be an invaluable resource, inspiring us for future projects. Its versatility allowed us to input diverse data and receive a wide array of outputs, sparking our creativity for upcoming microchallenges.

Presentation

Reflection

I had been eagerly anticipating this course for quite some time, and truth be told, it didn’t disappoint me at all. It was evident that our instructors had undergone the same master’s program as us, and they had the patience to understand that, in the end, it’s a seminar completed in three days and is quite intense. They also provided us with the space to comprehend that learning to create Artificial Intelligence and understanding its workings can be somewhat challenging. They gave us the necessary breaks to gradually grasp all the concepts.

On a personal level, since my thesis topic revolves around Artificial Intelligence, I found this course immensely beneficial. It gave me strength and allowed me to begin building a foundation and tools to work on my project. I’ve long wanted to delve into Artificial Intelligence projects, but I either didn’t know how or felt like I lacked the skills to do so. This course has helped alleviate some of my fears.

Moreover, it was fantastic how they introduced us to different projects that greatly inspired me to explore various avenues of working with AI and to provoke reflection. It was also great to witness projects like the daily news generation of potential futures and the chair project, which was a brilliant blend of the physical and human aspects with Artificial Intelligence.

Furthermore, I found the explanations about the “monster” of Artificial Intelligence and neural networks very intriguing. The artistic representation of explaining this AI monster was also fascinating, as it resonated with my thesis exploration of explaining complex concepts and making the non-visual tangible.

The tools provided to us were exceptional and completely dispelled our fear of experimenting with Artificial Intelligence in our projects. I am absolutely convinced that I will use them in the future.

In conclusion, I believe this course has made me reflect on the fact that while Artificial Intelligence is a tool we should utilize, we shouldn’t blindly trust it 100%. The people developing these tools aren’t creating them flawlessly from scratch; rather, they’re continually patching holes. Therefore, we need to remain critical and address their biases. Nonetheless, I am confident that from this course, I can develop many projects, especially with the ModMatrix tool, as it integrates numerous ideas and allows us to develop a more comprehensive project. Essentially, this course has equipped me with a foundation and understanding of these tools and what I can achieve with them. Undoubtedly, it’s the beginning of a new project where I can use the elements provided by Pietro and Cris for my thesis projects.