Serife Wong delved into the interconnections between the fields of art, craft, and design in the context of the emerging AI paradigm. She critically analyzed the relationship between art and technology, offering a “formal artistic inquiry” (Wong) to enlighten the audience. While researching her website I learnt that Wong is an “advocate for justice in AI and push for more active roles for artists in policymaking,” which I found an especially interesting because I was hearing a new approach to the discussion of generative AI.
Wong initiated her discussion by closely observing the prevailing trends in AI utilization. She notes that text-based AI is the most widely engaged with, followed by image-based AI, while video and music AI are less commonly encountered. A key point highlighted by Wong is the pervasive hype surrounding AI, driven by the belief that AI can bring to life the fantastical ideas of our childhood. Wong aptly characterizes AI as something magical, something that has the power to fundamentally shape our perceptions—this was one major realization I had during the talk! I would really be interested in learning the psychological aspect of why we tend to get influenced by results of generative AI and close our ideas into a box after we use AI..
Furthermore, the talk focused on the dynamic landscape in which both business and government play pivotal roles and emergence of generative AI has stirred quite a lot of excitement and anxiety. Something that really got me thinking was Wong’s explanation of emerging AI as an arms race and emphasizes the significance of peeking behind the curtain to truly learn whether AI will ultimately serve to save or disrupt our world.
Wong further delves into the insatiable “hunger” (Wong) of AI for data, raising valid concerns about exploitative labor practices and the potential for misleading presentations of AI’s capabilities. I agree with her firm emphasis on the idea that the primary concern lies with unethical users, such as companies using AI to replace writers and devalue their creative work rather than with the technology itself and I would like to learn more about the laws that are currently underway to stop this problem from rising in the business world.
As data becomes an increasingly integral part of our lives, Wong explains the potential for authoritarian control and the ethical debates regarding AI’s potential theft of art. Wong accurately suggests that generative AI serves as both a digital commodity and “a form of propaganda” (Wong), which increases stereotypes and biases that influence people’s beliefs. AI tools are progressively infiltrating our daily lives, exerting a significant influence on our thoughts and perceptions. Wong shares a personal experience of AI tools narrowing her creative ideas. She also raises legitimate concerns about the accumulation of data, which can enable surveillance and provide authoritarians with a means of control.
Another completely new insight I got was from the explanation that art, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is algorithmic, serving as a medium through which beliefs and perceptions are shaped, without necessarily revealing the inner workings.
In conclusion, Wong explains the imperative need to resist the “instrumentalization of creativity for the consolidation of power” and highlights the importance of considering how AI is employing us. She advocates for the “resistance of AI hype and encourages the building of solidarity within the field”.
