Our world runs on data. Every tap, like, or swipe feeds artificial intelligence systems. News is personalized, movie stars are replaced by generated clips, and image-generation has become the go-to tool for political smear campaigns.

And we all participate: we prompt images, rewrite texts, create videos. And if our ambitions are wider, we can influence elections, clone voices, or write code to create autonomous drones. These technologies shape (and divide?) our societies, our relationships, and our artistic practices. What is the power, and what are the dangers, of artificial intelligence today?

In this course, we explore A.I. not as distant theory, but both as a threat to and material for creation. You will make things from day one: playful experiments, quick prototypes, strange artifacts, poetic hacks. The point is simple: we learn by making, we think with our hands. We discover what A.I. means by using it, breaking it, bending it, and reshaping it into art.

What choices is artificial intelligence imposing on us by proposing them gently and counting on our inherent laziness? What is its policy? What strategies is it forcing upon us? In short, what is A.I.'s artistic taste, and how can we take back control?

At the same time, we use A.I. as a mirror to reflect our own natural stupidity. It questions our superiority and creativity. What does it mean to be conscious and intelligent? What responsibilities does this imply?

As A.I. changes the world, so changes the artist’s practice, and our place within that shifting landscape.

• How to use emerging technologies in our artistic practice?
• How to relate to the rapid changes in society?
• What do I think of the quasi-kitsch aesthetic surrounding A.I.-generated images?
• Is there value in returning to analogue processes?
• How does the ease of generating videos influence how we play, write, or compose?
• How do other artists respond to A.I.?
• What are the ethical implications of this all?
  

This course is a space to explore these questions through both making and thinking. Lets challenge assumptions, stretch possibilities, and imagine alternatives.

This course is guided by Casper Wortmann, who has the rather unique quality of combining a background as a performance artist with a master in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Amsterdam. He works with clients as diverse as Dries Verhoeven and Nike. His side kick is Peter Missotten, an Intermedial artist and head of the research group technologydrivenart.com.

In this project you will:

• Create plenty of individual or collaborative works that relate to (debates around) A.I.
• Practice and develop artistic research skills and academic skills
• Practice and develop skills involved in artistic engagement
• You will learn to question new technologies critically, use them creatively, and position your own voice within this shifting landscape.
  

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Critically assess and reflect on your own artistic attitude in discussions surrounding A.I.
• Evaluate how artistic engagement contributes to your personal artistic development.
• Analyze and articulate your perspective on the relationship between the arts and sciences in public discussions.

• The minor is intended for students of Arts and Design, Technology, Education
• You are interested in the use of Artificial Intelligence in the elaboration of creations within art or design
• You are interested in the impact of Artificial Intelligence on society
• You write a short letter introducing yourself and explaining why you want to follow this minor

A package of basic technological materials is made available. Additional materials are the student's responsibility.

Description of meetings: Practical education in art and design; Lectures with associated teaching assignments; Project education.

Teaching takes place on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Each week follows a clear rhythm:

• One day for lectures and theoretical grounding
• One day for studio time where you work hands-on
• One day for presentations and peer review

This rhythm keeps your practice active, reflective, and steadily evolving.

Presentation of your work, 15 EC

Cooperating research centres: Technology Driven Art and What Art Knows 

https://technologydrivenart.org