Artificial intelligence is like teenage love: everyone talks about it, nobody really understands it, but everyone still thinks everyone else is doing it, so they claim they are too.
response by ChatGPT 4.5 with the prompt: describe AI in one sentence.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been portrayed in many different faces, ranging from machines that fail to substitute our mundane jobs1 to systems allegedly capable of producing knowledge and reason2. AI imitates human thought through computational means, but its capabilities are often mistakenly trusted3. Contrary to common perceptions, AI is neither genuinely artificial nor truly intelligent4. It operates primarily through mathematical predictions, such as automated pattern recognition5, relying on the assumption that intelligence is computable, acting as a stochastic parrot stitching linguistic forms with probabilities6. Furthermore, AI is profoundly material, inseparable from semiconductor technology7, and intricately connected to geopolitical dynamics. This technological apparatus risks reinforcing authoritarian tendencies8, reshaping societal norms and our understanding of knowledge9.
Everyone seems to have something to say about AI, yet no single perspective fully captures the immense scale of its socio-technical implications. I, too, have fallen into the rabbit hole, seeking guidance from various sources to understand what AI is and what it means to engage with it artistically. The rapid pace of AI development constantly challenges keeping up with emerging trends and evolving models. Just as computation attempts to make sense of reality, this writing contributes yet again to the broader process of making sense of AI, a set of tools and concepts that consistently inform and shape my practices.