In this episode of Counterproductive, Nato Thompson sits down with Sasha Stiles, a pioneering AI researcher, poet, and artist, to delve into the intricate relationship between art, technology, and language. They explore how digital and analog practices interweave, challenge perceptions of AI, and address the energetic and ethical implications of emerging tech in creative spaces.

Main Topics:

• Sasha Stiles' background: From literature and science to digital art and AI
• The intersection of poetry, coding, and generative art
• The influence of language as a technology and its philosophical dimensions
• Personal projects: binary, analog binary code, and time-based art
• The potential and pitfalls of NFTs, blockchain, and Web3 for artists
• Early collaborations with large language models and AI as an epistemological tool
• The socio-ecological impacts and ethical concerns surrounding AI development
• The role of subtlety, nuance, and poetry in discussing AI’s societal effects
• Future visions: AI as a perception-expanding instrument and new modes of expression

Timestamps:

00:02 - Introduction to the podcast and guest Sasha Stiles

00:32 - Sasha Stiles’ artistic and academic background

01:32 - Her work at MoMA, Art Basel, and engagement with AI

02:39 - Early passion for language and technology’s influence on art

03:54 - Projects involving binary code, calligraphy, and analog binary

04:48 - The relationship between analog and digital practices

09:33 - Exploring the concept of technology beyond computers

10:14 - Reframing how we think about artificial intelligence and its cultural narratives

13:37 - Contrast between the experimental forms in poetry and literature

17:16 - The evolution of Web3, NFTs, and their impact on artists

18:23 - Personal history and the influence of family and cultural background

26:50 - The integration of science, religion, and speculative futures in poetry

30:12 - Collaborations with large language models and AI as a creative partner

34:48 - AI’s capacity to reveal new perceptions and understanding

43:33 - AI as an instrument of perception, not just a tool

47:10 - Societal effects: dependency, social norms, and the shadow of technology

52:37 - The nuanced discourse around AI, poetry, and subtlety

55:33 - The importance of time and slow, reflective art forms

58:47 - Sasha’s upcoming physical art show exploring binary and heritage

59:14 - Closing thoughts and the importance of ongoing dialogue

Resources & Links:

• Sasha Stiles - Official Website
• The Alternative Arts School

Connect with Sasha Stiles:

• Instagram

Connect with The Alternative Art School:

• Instagram

Note: This episode critically engages with the potentials and perils of AI and digital culture, emphasizing nuanced dialogue, artistic experimentation, and the ethics of technological futures.

Counterproductive is a podcast about how people live—authors, nomads, scientists, visual artists, and others whose ways of being bend against the ordinary. Each conversation lingers less on résumé and more on rhythm: how a life is made, how meaning is stitched together, how imagination might serve as a compass in chaotic times.

Hosted by Nato Thompson with producer Marisa Mazria Katz, the series drifts between art, politics, and the everyday, searching out voices who remind us there are countless ways of living a life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.