This course is the first of a two-part series, followed by "AI as a Subversive Medium" in the next semester; completion of both is highly recommended for all participants. (Please note: Students of "Design and Narrative Media" have priority for enrollment.)

This course explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and the visual arts, providing a hands-on introduction to machine learning with a focus on creative
applications. Designed for artists and designers, the course covers a wide spectrum of generative AI, including Image, Video, and 3D Generation.

“AI as a Creative Medium” teaches the necessary skills to utilize Machine Learning as a powerful and flexible tool. We will move beyond simple text-prompts and learn to build and control custom generative workflows using node-based interfaces like ComfyUI.We will understand the limitations and capabilities of our own computational resources and learn how to deal with them efficiently. This emphasis on technical self-sufficiency allows participants to shape a unique artistic position in a novel and complex environment. We will engage with foundational questions about the role of the artist and designer in a tool-based society, exploring both the potential of AI and the challenges it presents in the production of culture.

Participants will gain the knowledge to use Machine Learning in their artistic practice and the foundational skills to navigate a complex professional landscape. Through theoretical reflection and practical exercises, we will develop both technical competence and creative fluency with AI-driven tools.

The course is guiding participants through the entire creative process from a digital idea to a finished piece. We will explore techniques have the potential to translate digital concepts into tangible outputs, from high-resolution prints to video works and prototypes for physical objects.

Reading & Resource List

Literature:

• Kurzweil, Ray. The Singularity is Near

• Tegmark, Max. Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

• Chaillou, Stanislas. Artificial Intelligence and Architecture: From Research to Practice

• Russell, Stuart, and Peter Norvig. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach

  Key Papers:

• Vaswani, Ashish et al. "Attention is All You Need." (2017)
o (The foundational paper for modern Large Language Models)

• He, Kaiming et al. "Deep Residual Learning for Image Recognition." (2015) o (The most cited paper of the 21st century)

Links:

• ComfyUI: https://github.com/comfyanonymous/ComfyUI
o (A powerful, node-based interface for image generation models)

• LM Studio: https://lmstudio.ai/
o (A desktop application for running Large Language Models locally)