Sci Fi: The Pros & Cons of A.I.
Scott Schenke
November 18, 2022
This workshop examines artificial intelligence from a Sci Fi perspective, using works of AI-generated art as examples of its potential overreach.
Pre-reading:
- Mubert – this AI can be customized to make the kind of music you wish to hear…assuming you do *want* to hear AI-generated music.
- OpenAI Jukebox – a detailed explanation of how this AI makes music in the style of certain artists, with (strange) examples.
- hAIku – this is the same AI as above, instead writing Haiku. In fact you can have it generate new “hAIku” for you by entering some variables.
Source Material:
- Robots Are Writing Poetry, and Many People Can’t Tell the Difference by Carmine Starnino
- ‘A box of light’: AI inspired by British verse attempts to write poetry by Alison Flood
Prewriting:
- Make 2 contrasting lists, keeping in mind how human thought differs from how AI “thinks” –
- What might AI be good at & how can it help humans positively?
- What might AI be bad at or even dangerous to humanity if allowed to do?
Prompt: Having read, seen & heard some examples of AI attempting to create art, write a Sci Fi story that examines what AI should and/or shouldn’t be allowed to do.
Scott Schenke
Scott Schenke (he/him) is a musician, singer, songwriter, home recording enthusiast, canine coddler, frustrated vegetable gardener, disgruntled former sports fan, and daily consumer of all things Sci Fi. When he’s not staying up all night watching rainstorm videos from around the globe, or attempting to converse with neighborhood animals in proper English (as though they should understand him perfectly), he serves as YCA’s Technology Superintendent.