Infectious Machines: Arts, Humanities, and the Techno-Poetics of AI

This seminar explored the relationship between AI and Arts and Humanities by using a philosophical approach to redefine Chinese Mythology and examined how to encounter AI in Arts and Humanities. The speaker, Professor Kochhar-Lindgren, began the seminar by discussing the term “techno”, which encompasses not only AI but also the broader spectrum of human-created technologies. He posed thought-provoking questions about the interplay between philosophy and mythology, particularly focusing on the “mark of the human”. Drawing on well-known concepts from Chinese philosophy, such as Dao De Jing, Qi, and Shanshui, he employed a philosophical approach to reinterpret these abstract ideas. He emphasized that technology and humanities are not oppositional forces but exist in a reciprocal relationship.

The seminar then shifted to the topic of encountering AI. Professor Kochhar-Lindgren acknowledged the potential dangers of AI if it is not used responsibly. To illustrate this, he invoked the mythical figure of the “zombie” as a metaphor to explore the impact of AI on contemporary human civilization.