This episode of the Intersect continues with the complex relationship between art and technology, exploring themes from the ethical implications of early photography to the transformative influence of AI on the art world.

The discussion begins with Shalini Amerasing Ganendra's article on the ethical dilemmas faced in anthropological photography, particularly regarding indigenous cultures and consent. The hosts then shift to Rocco Venezia's imaginative project that envisions a moon populated with people, prompting reflections on trust and authenticity in a post-truth era. As the conversation progresses, they tackle the rising significance of AI in creative fields, questioning whether it enhances or diminishes the value of human artistry. The episode also highlights innovative collaborations between artists and roboticists, showcasing how creativity can lead to unexpected breakthroughs in technology.

Find the latest episode at https://theintersect.art/issues/27 , and sign up for the newsletter at The Intersect of Tech and Art website

Takeaways:

• The podcast discusses the ethical implications of early photography, especially concerning indigenous peoples.
• AI's potential impact on art raises questions about authenticity and value in creative expression.
• Rocco Venezia's project explores a future where the moon hosts a community of people.
• The balance between technology and human creativity is crucial in today's art landscape.
• The conversation highlights the importance of human-centered design amidst rising AI influence.

Links:

• How Artists Improvise and Provoke Robotics - The piece by Steve Benford on arXiv explores how artists collaborate with roboticists, blending improvisation and provocation to challenge robotic research. Projects like Brendan Walker’s Broncomatic and Blast Theory’s Cat Royale illustrate how creative minds can push the boundaries of traditional robotics, often forcing researchers to rethink their methods in real-time.
• Design trends for 2025: creative leaders share their vision for the future - The article from Creative Boom explores predictions for 2025, revealing how AI will shift from being a behind-the-scenes tool to driving final design outputs. Yet, with AI’s rise, we’re also seeing a counter-trend: a resurgence of physical, handcrafted experiences and human connection. Designers are pushing back against mass production, embracing craft and sustainability.
• Texas A&M’s Visualization Graduate Programs Merge Art and Technology - Texas A&M’s graduate programs in Visualization, as highlighted by the original article from pvfa.tamu.edu, offer a unique blend of art and technology. Full funding is available for MFA students, and MS students have access to scholarships and assistantships. The programs emphasize areas like augmented reality, game design, and data visualization, preparing students to become leaders in both creative and technical fields.
• Visions Of Nature: Mixed-Reality In London’s Natural History MuseumVisions Of Nature: A Mixed Reality Experience At London’s Natural History Museum - The article by Forbes covers the Natural History Museum’s Visions of Nature experience, a mixed-reality exhibit that uses Microsoft’s Hololens 2 to immerse visitors in future ecosystems. Developed alongside the French studio Saola, the exhibit lets users interact with digital creatures, such as a whale hybrid or a crab entangled in plastic, while moving through the museum’s physical space.
• The Living End: Painting and Other Technologies, 1970–2020 - The Visualist’s article, The Living End: Painting and Other Technologies, 1970–2020, digs into the persistent idea that painting is dead—an idea critics have been toying with for decades. However, as the article highlights, artists have continually reinvigorated the medium, blending it with technology to keep it evolving over the last 50 years.
• 'A Real Leap of Faith': Swiss Auction House to Offer Works Authenticated by AI - A recent piece from The Art Newspaper explores the decision by a Swiss auction house to offer AI-authenticated artworks. The works, by artists like Louise Bourgeois and Marianne von Werefkin, come with certificates from Art Recognition, a Swiss company using AI to verify authenticity. Some are skeptical, while others see it as a way to enhance credibility, as noted by auction house rep Fabio Sidler.
• Instant Photo Roast Generators : zingerInstant Photo Roast Generators - Zinger Turns Your Photos into Funny Roasts for Online Sharing - TrendHunter recently highlighted Zinger, a quirky tool that turns your photos into witty roasts. Upload an image, and within seconds, the AI spits out a roast layered with humor. It’s designed for those who want to inject some light-hearted fun into their digital interactions. Given the weight of the world lately, this feels like a breath of fresh air.
• Artificial Intelligence has Given Us a New Folk Artist - The article "The Internet Was the Beginning of a New Folk Artist. Artificial Intelligence May Be Its End." by ARTnews explores how generative AI is reshaping the landscape for content creators, drawing parallels with how the Industrial Revolution impacted folk artists. It’s striking that 65% of young people today identify as “creators,” signaling a shift in how we define and consume art.
• Revisiting Early Photography: Ethics, Legal Constructs, and the Seligmans’ Legacy - Shalini Amerasinghe Ganendra’s article, Revisiting Early Photography: Ethics, Legal Constructs, and the Seligmans’ Legacy, takes us through the ethical dilemmas of early photography in anthropology, particularly regarding indigenous peoples. She explores how these images, intended for research, often perpetuated power imbalances and cultural misunderstandings.

Welcome back to the Intersect, the show where we explore how art and technology are intertwined. You know, for those tuning in for the first time, we base each episode on Jurgen Birkastel's really cool newsletter, also called the Intersect.

He always has the most fascinating articles of projects in there.

And Jurgen has such a diverse background, right? Fine arts, music, photography, and technology.

Oh, totally.

Back in the 90s, he was doing special effects photography. Then he founded Polymash, a podcast production agency, and now he's developing AI tools. Can you believe that?

Wild, right? I think it's his eclectic background that makes his curation so interesting.

Definitely. So this time we're looking at.

Well, you can find the issue number on the website, but the main theme is kind of a journey from the ethics of early photography to, like, how AI could change art forever.

Sounds intense.

It is. So, speaking of ethics, we have to start with Shalini Amerasing Ganendra's article.

It's called Revisiting Early Photography Ethics, Legal Constructs, and the Seligman's Legacy. This piece is all about the tricky issues around anthropological photography, especially when it comes to indigenous peoples.

It's easy to forget, but back then, photography was used to, like, study and categorize different cultures, sometimes without even getting consent from the people being photographed.

Yeah. And Ganundra brings up this powerful example from Australia. Indigenous beliefs there say, you should destroy photos of people who have passed away.

This creates a huge problem for music museums. They're trying to preserve history, but they also want to respect these beliefs.

You know, it's a tough situation, and it's something a lot of cultures are dealing with. The legacy of colonial photography and how their ancestors were often photographed without consent.

It's a good reminder to, like, think about the power dynamics behind historical images.

Absolutely. Images are never neutral. Right. They always have a perspective, especially when it comes to marginalized communities.

So moving on from the past, we have Rocco Venezia's nocturnal Twins project. It was featured on Froome.

I love this one. It imagines a future where the moon is full of people.

It is. It's kind of like what Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are trying to do.

Right.

But the cool thing is Venezia uses this idea to play with, like, the role of photography in a post truth world.

Makes you think, can we trust anything we see anymore?

Totally. And his project blurs the lines between what's real and what's made up. Kind of like how we're dealing with truth and authenticity these days.

It definitely makes you question Your own perception.

Exactly. And speaking of blurred lines, let's get into AI's influence on the art world. Oh, I know, right? This was a big topic in this issue.

The Art News article. The Internet was the beginning of a new folk artist. Artificial intelligence may be its end was pretty intense, wasn't it?

It basically compares AI's impact today to what the Industrial Revolution did to folk artists back then. And, you know, 65% of young people call themselves creators now. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok are like the new art galleries.

So is AI just the next step, or will it make human art less valuable?

That's the big question, isn't it? I mean, on the one hand, AI can make art more accessible, but what if algorithms start deciding what's good and what's not true?

But hey, let's not get too serious. Jurgen also included zinger in this Zinger.

Right? The AI that roasts you based on your photo.

Exactly.

I can see that going viral.

Definitely. It reminds us that AI can be fun, too. We don't have to be all doom and gloom about it.

True, true. Now back to the serious stuff. There's an article in the art newspaper about a Swiss auction house using AI to check if artworks are real.

Yeah, that one stirred things up. Some people think a machine can't understand the nuances of art. Others think AI could get rid of fakes and make the art market more trustworthy.

Fabio Seidler from the auction house believes that using AI actually makes them more credible. What do you think?

It does make you wonder, like, what happens to human expertise when algorithms are making the calls.

That's a good point.

Yeah.

That old chestnut, Right.

But instead of saying painting is over, they argue that it's always been evolving.

Yeah, like painting itself is a technology, in a way, isn't it? Each brushstroke is like an algorithm.

That's a cool way to think about it.

Oh, and Jurgen also mentions the Visions of Nature exhibit at the Natural History Museum in London. They're using Microsoft's Hollands 2 to show visitors what future ecosystems might be like.

Whoa. You mean like augmented reality?

Exactly. Imagine standing in a museum and seeing digital creatures all around you.

That would be amazing.

And if you're interested in learning more about this stuff, Jurgen points to the visualization graduate programs at Texas A and M. They teach you about augmented reality, game design, data visualization, all that Cool stuff.

It's awesome to see universities combining art and technology like that.

It is. It's proof that you need both creativity and technical skills to succeed these days.

How so?

Well, they say that AI is going to be even more important in design, but at the same time, there's this craving for handmade human experiences.

Almost like a backlash against all the tech.

Yeah. Kaiser Barnes from Red Antler predicts a comeback for human centered design.

As machines do more, the things that make us human, like creativity and empathy, become even more important.

I see what you mean. It's like my photography professor used to say, things only exist because of their opposites.

If everything is AI generated perfection, people will start looking for the beauty and imperfection.

Right. And last but not least, we have Steve Benford's article about artists working with roboticists.

This was cool.

It is. Benford says artists are using their skills to challenge how we think about robots.

They bring improvisation and experimentation into the lab, which can lead to some really innovative stuff.

I love the examples he gave, like Bronchomatic, which is a mechanical bowl, and Cat Royale, where you play a game with robot cats.

Those are great examples. It shows that combining art and robotics can lead to some really unexpected breakthroughs.

It really does. Well, that's about it for this issue of the Intersect. It's been a wild ride from early photography to AI and everything in between.

It has, but, you know, the conversation doesn't end here. We want you to check out the full newsletter on the Intersect art. You can find all the articles and projects there.

And of course, subscribe to Juergens newsletter to stay in the loop.

Don't forget to share your thoughts, too. You can find us on social media or leave a comment on the website. We'd love to hear what stood out.

To you, because the best conversations happen when we all share our perspectives.