Event 3 Blog

-



 (Beckett)


I attended Paula Gaetano Adi’s artist talk at the Getty Center. Overall, the talk was very interesting and thought-provoking. 


Adi believes in robotics as an act of resistance. She talked about how robotics have direct consequences for the way we think about human life, what it means to be human. An interesting perspective that Adi brought up in her talk was framing humans mastery over robots as the new slaves, and as forced labor. I found it at first a little silly and mildly insensitive to compare robots, inhuman objects, as slaves. But the concept was intriguing and throughout her talk I could understand where she was coming from. 



From this perspective, Adi aims to liberate the robot through tech revolution. Hence, her recent project titled Gauanaquerx. Gauanaquerx is an autonomous robot that explores the Andes mountains.The robot does not wander aimlessly, rather, it travels the same path as Jose de San Martin and his army in 1817 (Adi).Through her project, she seeks to counter colonialism and liberate the robot. Gauanaquerx is pictured below.









(Beckett)


Writer Jeffrey Schnapp states, “The robot, I will argue, is not our double but rather a varied tangle of others that operate outside and alongside the human” (Schnapp). He believes that robots need to be categorized as “social appliances' ' that act as an adjunct to human agency and give rise to new ways of interacting with the world (Schnapp). This perspective by Schnapp is illustrated in Adi’s project. The Gauanaquerx robot is not merely an extension of humans, it is an autonomous explorer. Adi and Schnapp believe that robots are not just tools for humans, but independent entities. 



Adi’s comments on liberating the robot, reminded me of recent news about the one Google executive who Claims its AI chatbot is a sentient being (De Cosmo). The executive’s claims align with Adi's view of robots as distinct entities from humans, a relationship worth examining.








(Beckett)






Works Cited

Adi, Paula Gaetano. “Gauanaquerx.” Guanaquerx, 2024, https://www.guanaquerx.com. Accessed 8 June 2024.

Beckett, Madison. Photos taken at the Getty Center. 2024.

De Cosmo, Leonardo. “Google Engineer Claims AI Chatbot Is Sentient: Why That Matters.” Scientific American, 12 July 2022, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/google-engineer-claims-ai-chatbot-is-sentient-why-that-matters/. Accessed 8 June 2024.

Schnapp, Jeffrey. “Robot Liberation.” Jeffrey Schnapp, 16 January 2023, https://jeffreyschnapp.com/2023/01/16/robot-liberation-long-read/. Accessed June 2024.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 1 Blog

-
Image
 Vesna stresses the importance of, and optimism for the possibility of building bridges between the arts & sciences. She states that universities are where much of this work takes place (Vesna 122). During Lecture, Dr. Vesna emphasizes CP Snow's dissatisfaction with the separation between the sciences and humanities (Vesna 1). Contrary to Snow's beliefs, polarization of the two cultures is very apparent at UCLA. The landscape surrounding the north and south campuses correspond to the stereotypes of art and science vocations. The North Campus, surrounded by trees and nature, complete with the sculpture garden, is located closer to nature. Meanwhile, the South Campus is located closer to the city of Westwood, surrounded by working professionals, businesses, and the hospital. The placement of the South campus is therefore associated with the fast pace life of business, healthcare and technology.   Sculpture Garden (UCLA 1) Medical School Building (UCLA 1) Vesna discusses...
Read more

Week 7 Blog

-
Image
  In Lecture 3, I was intrigued and surprised to learn about Frued’s use of cocaine and role in medical malpractice. (Vesna, Lecture 3 Week 7). It seems so strange to hear that drugs such as cocaine and morphine were once common household medication, even appearing in soft drinks (Vesna, Lecture 3 Week 7).  This week's lecture made me think about our willingness to adopt scientific and technological innovations without a careful consideration of the risks. I wonder what is going to be the “cocaine” of today- as in what chemical or item in our everyday life will later become regarded as dangerous and outlawed.  (CBS NEWS 2011) Carl Jung writes that modern people often suffer from various forms of anxiety and neurosis because our conscious selves and unconscious selves are disconnected (Jung). He observes our culture's reliance on instant gratification (Jung). In some cases today, pharmaceuticals have become the first choice for alleviating depression. While I am strongly a...
Read more

Week 2 Blog Post

-
Image
  Dr. Vesna discusses the influence that mathematical developments such as linear perspective and vanishing points had on art, especially artists Brunelleschi & Düru.  (Vesna). Something surprising I learned about was the influence of mathematics on renaissance paintings. Considering Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper.’ To me the background of the painting is just a setting without much significance- instead my  eyes are drawn to the figures. Renaissance art to me is highly emotional and dramatic. Before the lecture material this week, I would not have considered renaissance art as influenced by mathematics. However, now it is clear the role that perspective, symmetry, and geometry plays in this art piece.  (Get Your Guide)   (Google Arts and Culture) Oath of the Horatii by David also exemplifies this fusion of art & mathematics. While these pieces were painted 200 years apart– the lasting influence of perspective & geometry remains. Frantz’s arti...
Read more