{"id":6329,"date":"2019-09-27T21:37:05","date_gmt":"2019-09-28T01:37:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/?p=6329"},"modified":"2019-09-27T21:53:03","modified_gmt":"2019-09-28T01:53:03","slug":"event-review-museums-and-ai-in-the-21st-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/2019\/09\/27\/event-review-museums-and-ai-in-the-21st-century\/","title":{"rendered":"Event Review: Museums and AI in the 21st Century"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event taken place at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum on Sep 16, 2019 mainly discussed the applications of Artificial Intelligence now and future and highlighted the role of museums as making people more self-aware. There were three talks in the event given by three different perspectives (a curator, a computer and a future teller) and a free Q &amp; A session afterwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Curator: Andrea Lipps, an associate curator of Contemporary Design, Cooper Hewitt<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The talk given by a curator from Cooper Hewitt first discussed the impact of AI on our lives right now. As is known to all that AI could be used in different kinds of fields like education, recreation, medical treatment, marketing automation, etc. AI could analyze large amounts of data in a short period of time and help make quick decisions. The benefits of AI are undoubted and visible. However, the curator also pointed out some questions that could not be ignored:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1.How can we ensure diversity, inclusion, safety and human rights are maintained with AI?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2.What role would AI play in our future?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3.How could museum use AI to represent new things?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no\nright or wrong to these questions and we could interpret the questions from\ndifferent angles. The curator also provided some frameworks that we could use to\nthink about AI:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1.Is it active or passive? If it is active, do you have a choice? If it is passive, is it being disclosed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2.Is it being linked to a real-world identity or just used as anonymous ID?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3.Which methods being used when connecting AI with museums?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s true that we could only predict the influence and applications of AI in the future but what we should pay attention to right now are our own values and priorities. Because the use of AI is designed by human beings and <strong>design is just the externalization of our own desire<\/strong>. \u201cIf we use, to achieve our purposes, a mechanical agency with whose operation we cannot efficiently interfere once we have started it\u2026 we had better be quite sure that the purpose put into the machine is the purpose which we really desire.\u201d Said Norbert Weiner in 1960.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Computer: Harrison Pim, a Data Scientist\nfrom Wellcome Trust<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The data scientist who represented a computer talked about his work content, that he used machine learning in dealing with loads of images, texts and collections quickly but not analyzing users or visitors, since AI in current period was parasitic on data. He also pointed out that AI was not designed to replace human beings but as tools to be used by people. <strong>So, the main point is how to use the tools to better serve people\u2019s needs.<\/strong> The talk given by \u201cthe computer\u201d reminded me of what I read in What is Computer Ethics: we are in a conceptional vacuum and policy vacuum world and we need to reexamine the regulations in the past world, from how to define tech-based concepts to create a relatively neutral algorithm. It is impossible to create something absolutely neutral but by creating diversity, the \u201cfundamental vulnerability\u201d could somewhat be relieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Creator:\nKaren Palmer, a storyteller from the future<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The future teller first warned everyone that the technology would take over everything and individuals would find themselves lack privacy or security in the near future if we did nothing. We would be derived of the right of telling our own stories and <strong>the world was going to be consist of auto-self surveillance, weaponized technology and biased networks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She used the example of criminal justice system\nto confirm us that bias would be the biggest problem in AI applications. An\nexample used to support was the UK police using AI to inform custodial\ndecisions which could be discriminating against the poor. Most assumptions made\nby AI right now were based on false theory while these assumptions are trend to\ntake over our lives. Thus, she concluded that democratizing AI should be what\nwe fight for in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What she highlighted was the necessary to turn the information age to an age of perception.<\/strong> \u201cThose who tell the stories rule the world.\u201d What museums should do is to make people more self-aware and create more opportunities to arouse citizens\u2019 insights to social issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q &amp; A\nsession<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Q: How to apply machine learning in the\nfield of design?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: To begin with, the interactions between\nusers and products would be changed by new technologies but the role of\ndesigners should not be overshadowed by AI. We could use AI to produce products\nor test prototypes faster. In a word machine learning should serve us but we\nshould not be slaved by it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Q: What would justice be like in the future\nand what is the role of machine learning in it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: Neither machine learning or artificial intelligence could answer future justice problems. Those concepts should be determined by human beings but not computer technologies. What would happen in the future is the living space AI help to create and people could better understand culture issues in the museums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Though we have to admit human\u2019s dominant role in the applications of AI, there are other problems about surveillance, power and constraints that could not be ignored. \u201cIn an era of extractivism, the real value of that data is controlled and exploited by the very few at the top of the pyramid.\u201d Said  Crawford &amp; Joler. The event did not predict how the regulations could be established but just pointed out museums\u2019 future role in arousing people\u2019s awareness, which I think lack enough support and overly optimistic to some extent. Anyway emphasizing museums\u2019 social responsibility is quite necessary right now and all museum practitioners should be prepared for the transformation of exhibition modes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reference<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Norbert Weiner (1960), Some Moral and Technical Consequences of Automation;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lesswrong.com\/posts\/2rWfmahhqASnFcYLr\/norbert-wiener-s-paper-some-moral-and-technical-consequences\">https:\/\/www.lesswrong.com\/posts\/2rWfmahhqASnFcYLr\/norbert-wiener-s-paper-some-moral-and-technical-consequences<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>James H. Moor (1985), What is Computer Ethics? 1-2<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tarleton Gillespie (2014), The Relevance of Algorithms, 191; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Gillespie_2014_The-Relevance-of-Algorithms.pdf\">https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Gillespie_2014_The-Relevance-of-Algorithms.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crawford &amp; Joler (2018), Anatomy of AI system; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.anatomyof.ai\/\">http:\/\/www.anatomyof.ai<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"504\" src=\"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/1-1024x504.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/1-1024x504.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/1-300x148.jpg 300w, https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/1-768x378.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1008\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/IMG_3575-2-1008x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/IMG_3575-2-1008x1024.jpg 1008w, https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/IMG_3575-2-295x300.jpg 295w, https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/IMG_3575-2-768x780.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The event taken place at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum on Sep 16, 2019 mainly discussed the applications of Artificial Intelligence now and future and highlighted the role of museums as making people more self-aware. There were three talks in the event given by three different perspectives (a curator, a computer and a future teller) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":673,"featured_media":6342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,245],"tags":[13,14,410,326,211],"class_list":["post-6329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-aside","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-event-reviews","category-sula","tag-ai","tag-algorithms","tag-data","tag-museums","tag-technology","post_format-post-format-aside"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/09\/IMG_3719.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/673"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6329"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6365,"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6329\/revisions\/6365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentwork.prattsi.org\/foundations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}