AI, Film and New Media

LW202-01

One of the things that makes us human is our ability to create. Now that robots can do the same thing, are we at risk of being replaced? In this seminar, we will explore human creativity by examining historical mediatic representations of thinking machines – from Ghost in the Shell to Blade Runner 2049- and experimenting with contemporary AI tools. We will contemplate what machine intelligence means for artists from past and present representations. Ultimately, we will ask what role human creativity plays in contemporary culture in a world where generative AI can create art, story, and even meaning.

We will examine various films and art that contemplate the impact of machines on human culture; we will also discuss comics and TV towards the end of the semester. Our writing/research will involve using ChatGPT (or other chatbot applications, Microsoft Co-pilot, etc.). Moreover, during several of our sessions, I will discuss video games (e.g., Detroit: Become Human), short stories, A.I.-generated art, social media, and music (e.g., EDM and Radiohead’s OK Computer (1997) and Kid A (2000)). For the final research paper, students may research media such as video games, comics, novels, and fine art.