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The MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Department will host a comprehensive, one-day symposium focused on the pervasive emergence of AI and its effects upon the lens and screen arts. This event is the first part of a series of lectures and discussions with artists, theorists, educators, and industry professionals reflecting on the recent explosion of interest, use, and questions surrounding AI image synthesis through tools such as DALL-E, MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, and others.

As Charles Traub notes, “Once again, a major technological revolution has come upon us. AI has clearly emerged as a now ubiquitous tool. Its impact on the lens and screen arts, and all of our social, intellectual, and scientific practices, is only beginning to be understood. There’s no doubt that this is a profound transformation of the digital world. It is now time to learn about it, its consequences, its utility, and its creativity.”

The day-long symposium will begin with an opening keynote address by the celebrated Berlin-based filmmaker and writer Hito Steyerl, whose work offers incisive discourse across the fields of art, philosophy, and politics. Her talk will be followed by three sessions that discuss the ways that artificial intelligence (AI) impacts arts education, society, creative practices and industries. The first session, AI + Arts Education, will feature  the chair of MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Charles Traub in conversation with the chair of MFA Fine Arts  Mark Tribe, Christiane Paul (Professor in the School of Media Studies at The New School and Curator of Digital Art at The Whitney Museum of American Art), and the chair of MFA Computer Arts Terrence Masson. The second session, Ethical, Legal, + Social Implications of AI, will feature a conversation between writer and critic of digital photography Fred Ritchin, the founding CEO of the non profit AI for the People Mutale Nkonde, and media and copyright attorney Ed Klaris of Klaris Law. The final session, Creative AI, will focus on the creative capacity of AI with presentations and discussions by artist and educator Stephanie Dinkins and new media artist Carla Gannis, with writer and media theorist Natasha Chuk as moderator. All of these speakers are major authorities in their fields.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. The symposium will begin promptly at 10 am. It is strongly advised that attendees arrive early for check-in. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. Breaks will be held between sessions.

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