Fun with AI: Digital Technology Through a Lens of Comics-Based Research

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

In this visual essay, I explore the origins of digital technology with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Postman (1992) perceives that society has transformed into a “Technopoly…totalitarian technocracy” (48) and suggests that “Adolf Eichmann becomes the basic model and metaphor for a bureaucrat in the age of Technopoly” (87). This links directly to a rarely discussed aspect in the history of technology. For instance, Computer Scientist Konrad Zuse invented the world's first digital programmable computer, which was utilised by the German air force in 1941 to improve their bombers. During the war, IBM developed computerised track and trace systems for concentration camps. After the war, Nazi rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun became the Director of NASA. I was already aware of all these events when I began my quest with comics and AI by typing the following prompt into ChatGPT: “Explain in what ways the Nazis innovated digital technology. Include references.” It replied: “The Nazis did not innovate digital technology in any significant way”, and the online program soon led me down a rabbit hole of obfuscation, gaslighting, and apologies. I persisted in my line of questioning rather than rely on AI’s broad scrapings, half-truths, and misinformation. As an artist, researcher, and teacher I am exhausted by the onslaught of uncritical techno-optimism. In response to this challenge, I prioritise material handling of art materials and follow Bolt’s (2008) suggestion to: “give pre-eminence to the material practice of art… In place of the “technologisation” of thought” (31).
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 7 Jun 2024
EventAI in the Creative Industries Conference - Futureworks, Manchester, United Kingdom
Duration: 7 Jun 2024 → …
https://futureworks.ac.uk/news/2024/05/ai-in-the-creative-industries-conference-2024-weighing-up-the-impact-of-ai/

Conference

ConferenceAI in the Creative Industries Conference
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityManchester
Period7/06/24 → …
OtherThe rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has sparked a wave of debate and speculation, ranging from doomsday scenarios to the heralding of a new industrial revolution. At the heart of this technological surge lies a ground-breaking development: AI’s ability to generate creative content. From visual arts to literature, AI’s capabilities are both intriguing and controversial, raising profound questions about art, creativity, and the role of the artist in an era not just of mechanical reproduction but of mechanical production.
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