Augmented Self: Can Generative AI be more than just a tool?

Join us for a thought-provoking exploration into the world of "Augmented Self: Can Generative AI be more than just a tool?". In collaboration with ArtSci Salon, and thanks to the Fields Institute for hosting!

Note: this is a hybrid event, if you can't make it in person, here's the zoom details: Meeting ID: 946 1007 4365 https://zoom.us/j/94610074365

While the era of the Quantified Self isn't over, new tools have emerged which make the idea of JUST quantifying yourself (for personal growth or insight) seem outdated. The widespread assumptions is that ChatGPT and other Generative AI tools can do at least some of your thinking FOR YOU. Similarly, MidJourney can churn out passable images from just a prompt (that ChatGPT wrote for you), even if you aren't an artist. This ability has raised many red flags and concerns regarding intellectual property and copyright infringement. And hundreds more such tools are arriving like a tsunami as venture capitalists pour billions into Generative AI startups. How do we navigate Generative AI for personal growth and creativity? What are its ethical uses? How do we use it for personal growth and creativity, for education or accessibility? What is it's impact on our sense of self and on the conditions of our employment?

Event Schedule:

6:00-6:30pm. Reception and Networking

6:30-7:15pm. Panel Discussion (see below)

7:15-7:45pm. Q&A with the audience

7:45-8:00pm. Networking

8pm - option - retiring to a nearby pub for discussions

Panel Discussion:

Engage with a diverse panel of experts, each offering a nuanced perspective on the integration of AI into personal development:

• Techie Viewpoint: Eric Boyd, your event host and meetup organizer, will talk in general about the "Augmented Self" idea, and relate his experiences working with these tools on an unusual creative project - a solarpunk tarot deck. It's a gigantic project, and "orchestrating artificial cognition" is the weird "augmented" experience at the heart of it.
• Artist Viewpoint: Ryan Kelln, a software artist, has been using text-to-image tools to explore remixing, appropriation, and representation in his latest concert (https://www.ryankelln.com/project/transmigrations/). His exploration didn't answer all his questions but left him changed for the better.
• Educator viewpoint: Dan Tapper, a creative technologist and educator who utilizes AI in creative projects and in the classroom. His teaching work engages students in dialogue with contemporary generative tools juxtaposed with art movements such as Dadaism, challenging students to explore and break generative AI to come up with their own unique uses and takeaways. Dan will talk about the silly, serious and surprising projects and perspectives encountered as an educator working with generative AI.

Audience Participation: We invite your participation! Please bring your curiosity and your questions! We welcome all input, especially critical or out-of-frame input. We don't even know what kind of language we should be using to discuss this!

If you are intrigued by the intersection of technology, self-improvement, and personal expression and seek a nuanced perspective on the augmented self, this event is designed for you.

Join us for an evening of generative AI collaboration stories (in the usual manner of QS "what did you do"), candid exploration, and thought-provoking dialogue. Chart your course through the potential and complexities of the Augmented Self with the guidance of insightful experts and a community of like-minded explorers.

This event description began from a series of prompts to ChatGPT. Can you spot the unedited sections? Does it matter if you can or can't? It feels very new and different to make things this way. Let's talk about it. Sincerely, your QS organizer, Eric.