Summary:
This week we started on writing for our thesis work. This means starting on the introduction section. Writing a first draft can be tough though so it is important to just jump in and write messy the first time through.
Anne Lamott Reflection
The Anne Lamott writing made me realize that it is okay to write sort of randomly for your first draft because the purpose is just to get all the ideas down. You can organize the ideas later but writing them down is most importnat. They do not even need refined they can be simple sentences as long as the ideas are there. This is very helpful because I often get stuck in the perfectionist mindset where this writing says it is ok if it is not perfect the first time through.
Messy Paragraphs
Introductory paragraph
Humanity and technology have been evolving together since the dawn of time. As technology and humanity grow and change so should our definitions of humanity. How have the boundaries of our definition of humanity changed overtime and how can we redefine humanity to experience a more equitable society. These are questions I ask myself when making Am.I.. Am.I. is an art piece about redefining humanity through the lens of technology.
Background of the Problem
Humanism in during the Renisance represented the idea that mankind was a define being capable of achieving great things. However, humanism is close minded in the fact that the idea form of humanity is captured in the white male figure so anything other than that is automatically considered less than human. This is were post-humanism responded and aims to redefine humanity through alternative lenses and frameworks of experience. Technology has often been a way to explore these ideas of post humanism in a way that is open minded to the future of our existance.
Simultaneously, with the emergance of AI many are fearful about being replaced and what the future may hold. Many do not consider AI as a form of art and reject it entirely. While these responses are valid a lot of them are motivated by fear.
Statement of the Problem
People are afraid of AI and are not seeing how it can tell us more about human existance. AI is continuing to advance, is there a vision of the future where it advances so much it redefines our definition of humanity and how do we prepare ourselves for such?
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the work is to introduce the audience to the idea of AI as a alternative form of human experience. The viewer may also be rethinking their idea of what defines a human. As we advance with technology we may come accross these existantial questions. Like in science fiction something that may not be considered human now may be one day.
Research Questions
Questions to ask are what defines a human? How is AI an alternative form of human existance? What can we learn about humanity through AI such as bias or philisophical principles?
Significance of the Study
The significance of the study is the existential conversation between two AI can relect human values that were trained into it. Even more so people are afriad of being replaced by AI, this ties into ideas such as the Great Replacement Theory. This work aims to pinpoint these fears and analyze how they may tie into problematic visions of the humanism movement. Additionally, how can AI be an extension of ourselves to teach us about ourselves.
Definition of Terms
A.I. stands for artificial intelligence. LLM stands for large language model.
Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations
Cost is a big limitor of this project. More expensive equipment could have been purchased but it would have achieved the same outcome.
The project is also limited by the current models of AI. This is working with existing models and hence has the built in bias of those models.
Ethical dilemma(s)
Using artifical intelligence does require a substantial amount of environmental resources.
Additionally, some of the parts of this project where 3-D printed. When 3-D printing a lot of plastic gets wasted. This leftover plastic was collected and is planned to be recycled.
Goals
- Continue to work on thesis writing
- Continue to do literature review
Image Generated using Adobe Firefly