We explore the dynamic ways in which historical visions of the future shape our present creative landscape. Juergen Berkessel's latest newsletter provides the backbone for an engaging discussion, delving into the intersection of AI’s practical uses in design, the evolving nature of traditional art forms in the digital age, and the predictive power of retro-tech art. From the innovative AI-driven installations at Taiwan Design Week to Carmen Mackler Holler's digitally inspired poster designs, our hosts examine how these creative endeavors echo and reinterpret past expectations of the future.

Join us as we journey through thought-provoking topics such as the historical context of AI in art, exemplified by pioneers like Harold Cohen, and the rise of parametric architecture and generative AI photography, which challenge conventional definitions of creativity and functionality. With insights into exhibitions like "Electric Dreams: Art and Technology Before the Internet" at the Tate Modern and groundbreaking uses of AI in storytelling and authentication, this episode offers a comprehensive look at how past predictions shape current artistic innovations. Tune in to discover what retro tech art tells us about our present and future creative possibilities.

Find the latest episode at https://theintersect.art/issues/33 , and sign up for the newsletter at The Intersect of Tech and Art website

1. Introduction and Overview [00:00:00]
2. AI's Impact on Design at Taiwan Design Week [00:00:32]
3. Carmen Mackler Holler's Digital Age Posters [00:01:59]
4. Electric Dreams Exhibition at the Tate Modern [00:03:27]
5. Parametric Architecture [00:05:03]
6. AI Photography and Charlie Ingman [00:06:37]
7. Photorealistic 3D Italian City Scene [00:08:01]
8. Canva's Integration of AI Tools [00:09:49]
9. AI-Based Authentication in Art [00:10:23]
10. Urgency of Embracing AI Tools [00:12:01]
11. Sign Off [00:13:17]:

Female Host: Always exciting to see how these two worlds, which can sometimes feel so different, are constantly shaping and influencing each other.

Male Host: Right. So for this episode, we're diving into Juergen's latest newsletter.

Female Host: Issue number 33.

Male Host: Yep. Issue 33. Which, as always, is just packed with these thought provoking observations and connections.

Female Host: It's really incredible how he manages to spot trends and connections that most people just miss completely.

Male Host: He really does have a knack for it.

Female Host: For sure. So, are we ready to jump in?

Male Host: Let's do it.

Female Host: Okay.

Male Host: To kick things off, Juergen talks about Taiwan Design Week, which is happening in Taipei this December.

Female Host: Uh huh.

Male Host: And the theme this year is all about AI's impact on design.

Female Host: Okay, interesting.

Male Host: But here's the thing, it seems like the design world is actually embracing AI as a practical tool.

Female Host: Really? That's so different from what we're seeing in the art world, which is still grappling with, you know, what AI means for authorship and originality and all of that.

Female Host: It's about how AI can solve problems, push boundaries.

Male Host: Exactly. Like they're skipping over the whole philosophical debate and going straight to, okay, how can we use this?

Female Host: Exactly. You see that in one of the installation's Juergen highlights called Synthetic Storyteller.

Male Host: Oh yeah, tell me about that one.

Female Host: So this piece by Studio MMR and Jimmy Wai Chun Cheng, it uses AI to predict lifestyles based on your design choices.

Male Host: So instead of, like, picking out a sofa, you, like, the AI is actually analyzing your choices to understand your needs and aspirations.

Female Host: Right. And then it creates a space that's truly tailored to you, not just aesthetically, but emotionally, too.

Male Host: That's wild. It's a whole other level of personalization. It

Female Host: really is.

I

Male Host: wonder, though, if this practical approach is something that the art world could learn from.

Female Host: It's an interesting question, for sure. There's a lot that the two worlds can learn from each other.

Male Host: Yeah, even as they navigate the rise of AI in very different ways.

Male Host: Okay, I'm listening. What about her?

Female Host: Well, Juergen is fascinated by how her designs are reflecting the visual language of the digital age.

So, her posters have this really distinctive vertical format that's very reminiscent of social media feeds, like Instagram stories or TikTok.

Male Host: Oh, I see it. It's like the poster, which is traditionally a static medium designed to grab attention and make you think, is. Evolving to mirror the way we consume content online.

Female Host: Right, it's that constant vertical scroll. A flood of information we're always engaging with.

Male Host: And what I thought was interesting is that Juergen seems to be optimistic about this connection.

Female Host: Yeah, he sees these online spaces which often get criticized for being superficial as having the potential for something more meaningful.

Male Host: Right, he envisions them becoming platforms for actual visual dialogue where design can spark conversation and critical thinking. And

Female Host: Haller's work seems to be pushing in that direction for sure.

Right.

Female Host: Right. They encourage us to pause to think about the rapid pace of technological change and how it's shaping our world.

Male Host: It's a good point. It really shows how even traditional art forms are adapting to the digital age, finding ways to engage audiences in new ways.

Female Host: Yeah, bridging that gap between the physical and the digital.

Male Host: Okay, so we've got AI and design posters reflecting the digital age.

Female Host: What's next?

Male Host: Let's talk museums.

Juergen mentions an exhibition at the Tate Modern in London. called Electric Dreams Art and Technology Before the Internet.

Female Host: Oh, cool.

I've heard of that one.

Male Host: It's looking back at how artists of the past envisioned a future shaped by technology. And in many ways, the future they imagined is the one we're living in now.

Female Host: Right. Like all those sci fi movies from the 80s and 90s that tried to predict what the future would look like.

Male Host: It makes you wonder what they got right and what they completely missed.

Female Host: Totally. Juergen actually talks about his own childhood and how fascinating he was with Star Trek.

Male Host: Oh, yeah.

Male Host: It's true. We have all these incredible gadgets and advancements, but some of the fundamental challenges remain. For sure. So what else did Juergen find interesting about this exhibition?

Female Host: Well, he talks about how the exhibition features work by some early A. I. pioneers like Harold Cohen.

Male Host: Okay.

Male Host: Wow, that's way ahead of its time.

Female Host: It is! It's pretty mind blowing when you think about it. And it reminds us that these debates we're having now about AI art They're not new at all.

Male Host: They've been brewing for decades.

Female Host: Exactly! The exhibition provides this historical context that's so important. It reminds us that the relationship between art and technology has always been complex and evolving.

Male Host: Not a sudden disruption.

Female Host: Right, more like this long and winding conversation.

Male Host: I like that. A conversation with lots of twists and turns.

Male Host: What's next?

Female Host: Let's talk architecture again.

Specifically, a style called parametric architecture.

Male Host: Okay, break it down for me.

Female Host: So essentially, it's about using computational tools to create buildings that are both functional and aesthetically striking.

Male Host: So it's like a marriage of art and engineering where algorithms and data come together to push the boundaries of design.

So instead of sketching blueprints, architects are using algorithms to generate designs.

Female Host: In a way, yes. It's about using these tools to explore a much wider range of possibilities to create structures that wouldn't be feasible with traditional methods.

Male Host: Do you have any examples?

Female Host: Yeah, Juergen mentions a few iconic buildings in his newsletter.

One is the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Male Host: Oh yeah, with those flowing metallic curves.

Female Host: That's the one. It's a really striking example of how parametric design can create these organic, almost sculptural forms.

Male Host: Wow, those sound incredible.

Female Host: They are definitely worth checking out.

Male Host: So this parametric architecture is not just about looks, right?

Female Host: Definitely not. It's about function too. It allows architects to optimize buildings for things like energy efficiency, sustainability, and structural integrity.

Male Host: And Juergen finds this particularly fascinating because it really blurs the line between form and function.

Female Host: It does. It's that age old debate, does form follow function or function follow form? Parametric architecture seems to say, why not both?

Male Host: I love that. It's like the perfect synthesis of art and engineering.

Female Host: I think so too.

Male Host: Okay, this next one caught my eye. AI photography pushes boundaries.

Female Host: Juergen features the work of Charlie Ingman, an artist who's using generative AI to create photography that really challenges our notions of what a photograph can be.

Male Host: It's not just capturing reality anymore.

Female Host: No, it's about entirely new visual experiences.

Female Host: Exactly. And Juergen points out that this signifies a shift. We're moving beyond simply generating AI images to artists developing a distinct visual language.

Male Host: Opening up this whole new realm of creative possibilities and artists are just beginning to explore what it can do.

Female Host: They are. It's really exciting to see what they come up with.

Male Host: But it does raise some interesting questions about what we consider photography. How does AI impact authorship and artistic intent? Is it still photography when the image is generated by an algorithm?

Female Host: Big questions.

Male Host: They are. And honestly, I don't think there are any easy answers.

But it's a conversation that we need to be having as these technologies become more sophisticated and accessible. It's changing the way we create experience and even rethink what it means to be a creator, and to redefine what we consider beautiful or meaningful.

Female Host: It's

Male Host: a really exciting, if somewhat unsettling, time to be in this space.

Female Host: It's definitely a time of immense potential and transformation.

Female Host: Okay, what do you have in mind?

Male Host: Juergen highlights this article on 80Level that showcases a photorealistic 3D Italian city scene.

Female Host: Okay, I'm intrigued.

Male Host: And it's mind blowing. This scene was created using Unreal Engine 5 and photogrammetry, and the level of detail is just astounding. It's like stepping right into a movie set. Wow. You have cobblestone streets, charming restaurants, scooters zipping by. It's all there recreated with incredible fidelity.

Female Host: Sounds pretty amazing.

Male Host: It is. And what's fascinating is that this kind of hyper realistic 3D environment is no longer just the realm of big budget studios. You could actually buy pre made environments like this and use them to create your own stories.

Female Host: Seriously. So I could essentially direct my own Italian rom com from the comfort of my living room.

Male Host: And it's not just limited to filmmaking. Think about the implications for video games. Virtual reality experiences, even architectural visualizations.

Female Host: The possibilities are endless.

Female Host: SOAR, that rings a bell. Remind me what that is again.

Male Host: It's this cutting edge video generation tool that uses AI to manipulate existing footage and create new content. Imagine you could take this 3D Italian city scene, drop in some characters, add a plot, and Boom, you've got a movie.

Female Host: That's wild.

Male Host: It is, and Jürgen has been experimenting with this himself.

Female Host: He has! And what did he think?

Male Host: He was really impressed. He talks about how remarkable it is to blend your own creativity with these pre existing digital worlds.

Female Host: And it's making things like filmmaking more accessible to people who might not have had the resources before.

Male Host: Right. And it speaks to a theme that I think we've been touching on throughout this episode. The idea of embracing technology and finding ways to integrate it into our creative processes.

Female Host: For sure.

Male Host: Which leads us perfectly to our next topic.

Female Host: Canva. Canva. Yeah. It's in the graphic design platform.

Female Host: So they're not shying away from AI, they're embracing it and weaving it into their platform.

Male Host: They are. And Canvas CEO Melanie Perkins has actually said that she sees AI as a way to make the world more visual and accessible, which really aligns with their mission of democratizing design.

Female Host: Makes sense.

Male Host: Okay, this next topic is definitely one that caught my eye. AI authentication marketing ploy or market shift.

Female Host: Ooh, this is a good one.

Male Host: Yeah.

Female Host: So a German auction house recently made history by selling a watercolor painting that was authenticated solely by AI.

Male Host: Hold up, so no human experts were involved at all?

Female Host: Nope. They partnered with an AI authentication company called Art Recognition, and they used their algorithm to confirm the painting's provenance.

Male Host: That's a bold move for sure. It's definitely sparked a lot of debate in the art world.

Female Host: It has. I

Male Host: mean, authentication has always been the domain of human experts, you know, with their trained eyes and years of experience.

Male Host: Right. And it raises so many questions. Some people are excited about the potential of AI to make authentication more objective and efficient to take out the human bias.

Female Host: And others are concerned about the implications for human expertise and the potential for bias in the algorithms themselves.

Male Host: We're entering this uncharted territory where we have to figure out how to balance the power of technology with the wisdom and knowledge of human experts.

Female Host: A delicate dance, for sure.

Male Host: It is. And Juergen raises a really interesting question. Is this a genuine shift in the art market, or is it just a clever marketing tactic?

Female Host: Right. Are we witnessing a real paradigm shift, or is it just hype? It definitely highlights the disruptive potential of AI, even in fields that have traditionally relied on human judgment and expertise.

Male Host: Fascinating case study for sure. And it makes you wonder what the future holds.

Will AI authentication become the standard? Will collectors and institutions trust it completely? Or will human expertise always play a role?

Male Host: I guess time will tell.

Female Host: It will. And this brings us to our final topic for this episode, which focuses on the urgency of engaging with AI tools right now.

Male Host: Urgency. Why the rush?

Female Host: Well, Juergen highlights this article by Marie Gillot, who's the executive director of JPLUS at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. And she makes a compelling case for journalists to embrace AI experimentation.

Male Host: Interesting.

Female Host: And I think her message resonates far beyond the field of journalism.

So

Male Host: it's not just for writers. It's for artists and creators of all kinds. Exactly.

Female Host: Juergen argues that we can't afford to sit on the sidelines while AI tools like ChatGPT are still relatively open and inexpensive.

Male Host: Because things could change.

Female Host: They could. The future, she warns, may not be so forgiving.

Male Host: Learn, experiment, and figure out how these tools can enhance your work before they become more restricted and commercialized.

Female Host: Exactly.

Male Host: Make sense?

Female Host: And

Male Host: Juergen echoes that sentiment. He believes that we're all at risk of falling behind if we don't embrace the potential of these tools, if we don't start experimenting and pushing the boundaries.

Male Host: It is. So it's not about fearing AI or resisting it. It's about learning how to use it to our advantage. To see it as a tool for creative expression and innovation. It's about being proactive and shaping the future rather than waiting for it to shape us.

Female Host: Couldn't have said it better myself. And it speaks to this larger trend of AI becoming more integrated into our lives. Not just as a tool, but as a partner in the creative process. It's a reminder that the future is being written now, and we all have a role to play.

Male Host: So if you're intrigued by any of the topics we've discussed today, I highly recommend checking out Juergen's newsletter.

Female Host: You can find it at TheIntersect. art.

Male Host: It's a treasure trove of insights and inspiration, and it's a great way to stay up to date on the latest happenings at the intersection of art and technology. Thanks for joining us on this episode of The Intersect. We'll be back next time with more thought provoking explorations of the creative landscape.

Until then, keep exploring, keep creating, and keep pushing those boundaries.