The aesthetics of absence : awareness in the age of neural networks

In this hurtling technological age, the world seems more lost than ever before. When we optimize only for what can be observe, we can lose sight of the mysteries that help to define us. This thesis begins with the premise that not all aspects of humanity are amenable to empirical study. Inspired by a monoprint painted by Paul Klee and vividly described by Walter Benjamin, we design and deploy a four-part intervention at the intersection of artificial intelligence and media. First, we probe the tradition of via negativa. Second, we develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can disappear objects in photographs and deploy it online on a website called Deep Angel. Frorh August 2018 to April 2019, over 100,000 people visited Deep Angel. Third, we examine the precautionary principle for Al media manipulation with a randomized experiment. In this particular domain with this particular technology, we find that exposure to media manipulation improves individuals' ability to detect manipulations. Fourth, we create art. By infusing ancient wisdom traditions with modern technologies, this thesis points to a path out of digital and material clutter towards a rehabilitation and recovery of what has been lost in this Internet age: presence.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master

Department dc:contributor.department

Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Groh, Matthew(Matthew Robert)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Iyad Rahwan.

• Program in Media Arts and Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/123759

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/123759