Week 3: Robotics + Art
Kaufman, Sarah L. "Artist Sougwen Chung wanted Collaborators. So she designed and built her own AI robots."
The Washington Post. 5 November 2020. Accessed 16 April 2024.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/11/05/ai-artificial-intelligence-art-sougwen-chung/
There are many different ways to think of robots, some can help aid in different purposes while others serve as a testament to human advancement. However, one important concept relating to robots and arts is through industrialization, and the way in which society reacts. Professor Machiko Kusahara, makes a great point about how robots, from an industrial point of view, always serve a purpose beyond the simplicity of manufacturing. When creating robots, what constitutes art? Is it the individual who created the robots, or the possibilities of what those same robots can create? Walter Benjamin highlights the concept of reproduction through “object” and how reproduction affects tradition. The way I read this, in relation to art, was how continuously reproducing and manufacturing robotics can limit or jeopardize tradition, or mankind.
Alexandra Bregman, also identifies tradition in relation to art and robotics. She explains that traditional forms of art serve as a foundation for the new art collections in a world of robotics and technology. She focuses on an artist, Agnieszka Pilat, who states that robots and technology are “humanity’s babies” because of the way minds are able to create these new forms of “art” to solve problems.
IMDb.com. The Terminator. IMDb. 1984. Accessed 16 April 2024. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/
Professor Victoria Vesna, in the lecture two videos, brings up the movie, Blade Runner, to showcase the potential relationship between “robots” and humans in a society. However, where this takes place in the future, I was thinking about movies with a similar concept that take place in the present day. The movie I wanted to focus on that relates to the idea of robotics, art, and Terminator (1984). Daniel Saints brings up an important point, regarding humans and robots, especially when it comes to the manufacturing of robots. Saints state that we, as humans, are quick to blame technology or robots for behavioral issues; however, we as the creators are to blame. In Terminator, the whole point of the machines was to make a profit for humans, and their retaliation and reproduction is due to our reaction in an industrialized world.
Negroni, Jon. "The Humans of 'WALL-E' Were Probably Better Off Without Him." jonnegroni.com.
https://jonnegroni.com/2015/04/15/the-humans-of-wall-e-were-probably-better-off-without-him/comment-page-1/
Robots and art are juxtaposed through this lens, especially when considering that humans can create them both. This begs the question as to whether our understanding of robotics and art can help value these concepts and the way in which traditional, and different forms of art is viewed in our society.
Works Cited
Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” 1936. Accessed 16 April
2024.
Bregman, Alexandra. “How Robot Art Reveals the Power of Humanity.” Forbes. 28 April 2023.
Machiko Kusahara & Vesna, Victoria “Professor Machiko Kusahara on Japanese Robotics (Lecture).
Accessed 16 April 2024.
Saints, Daniel. “From ‘Terminator’ to Today: The Real Threat to Art and Creativity Isn’t AI, It’s Us.”
Medium. 12 September 2023. https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/from-terminator-to-today-the-real-threat-to-art-and-creativity-isn-t-ai-it-s-us-d0d5f90a724e Accessed 16 April 2024.
Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics + Art Lecture Part 2” Accessed 16 April 2024.
Hey Martin, I loved your view on this. I liked the internal analysis part best saying that us as humans tend to blame the technology or external factors for problems that occur, but we should really be looking at ourselves as the creators of the technology. I do agree that the view on robots and art can be both positive and negative and the views do juxtapose one another, too.
ReplyDeleteHi Martin, great post! I liked your underlying theme on how humans are ultimately the creators for both robots and art. That fact alone is enough to convince me that humans will always have more influence on the advancement and manufacturing of robotics than they can ever possibly have on us.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I really liked was your first image on artist Sougwen Chung using AI robots to help with her art. It's a great example of how we should interpret the influence of robotics as collaboration and assistance to society rather than replacement or reproduction.