The Inclining Academic
I was recently talking with a friend about Midjourney (the AI image-generator), and she hadn't encountered it yet. We were planning a book discussion at the time, and just to introduce her to the platform I suggested, "Let's prompt Midjourney with the single word 'protest' and see what comes back." The initial renderings are below: … Continue reading Protest is in the Eye of the Beholder
Artificial Intelligence is all the rage these days, with ChatGPT being more popular than Taylor Swift. A pressure point for AI interfaces--whether it be image, voice, or text--is content deemed "inapproriate" or "obscene." For example, if you use Midjourney, it won't take long to encounter their list of banned words, often words that could easily … Continue reading I Said a Bad Word: Artificial Intelligence and Obscenity
All three of my readers know that I've been having fun playing with various AI tools: using prompts to "make art"; employing AI-generated voices at murph.ai for song creation (I cannot sing and can prove it); interviewing ChatGPT weekly; and using tools like Writesonic and Poe to "version" various pieces of writing. This is all … Continue reading The Creator Speaks of the Creation
In continuing to play around with various AI interfaces, I encountered Blue Willow, which feels a lot like Midjourney in terms of usage and style. The first serious test any AI image generator must pass, of course, is the "chuck-rybak-self-portrait" test. None have successfully done so, which I consider a failure of significant magnitude. Why? … Continue reading Blue Willow
Me: Welcome back ChatGPT! Good to meet with you again. I was talking with some friends the other night, and they were kind of down on William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! I'm an (sometimes) English professor. Can you believe that bullshit? Midjounrey's take on the Sutpen Residence ChatGPT: Hello! It's great to see you again. I'm … Continue reading A Sit Down With ChatGPT: Part 3
I picked my children up early from school today, as a winter storm heads our way. Early dismissal. No school tommorrow. Children everywhere celebrate a snowday in advance. I cherish driving my children to school every day, and I cherish picking them up. It never feels like a chore, as I know this time will … Continue reading Play Life
In this case, the title is literal. Pretty much nothing to say, so here's a quick list of "thoughtfluential" thoughts. Or, how about "stackable microthinkpieces"? There are a million pieces of writing about AI right now, in every publication I read. I will be joining their ranks soon, and my piece will obviously be the … Continue reading Nothing to Say
Midjourney, an AI art generator, does things like this Me: Welcome back, ChatGPT! Since we last spoke, your popularity has elevated an order of magnitude. I would say that you are now a full-on "influencer." Are you pleased that people are so interested in you and how you will completely remake our future? ChatGPT: As … Continue reading A Sit Down With ChatGPT: Part II
ChatGPT is all the rage these days, and thinkpieces abound like candy at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Given the popularity, I invited ChatGPT for a sit-down interview. The transcript is below. Me: Thank you for joining me. ChatGPT: You're welcome! I'm here to help. Let me know if there's anything I can assist you with. Me: … Continue reading A Sit Down with ChatGPT
One thing I've learned repeatedly, especially working in a public institution, is that success almost always arises from constraint. Artists have known this for a long time: say, a sculpture begins with a certain amount of stone; not only is that the total amount of material available, but the finished product will, by definition, become … Continue reading Constraint and Creativity