Applying Poetic algorithms

An interview with Michal Janicki

As generative AI progresses, machine-made art is constantly improving. But these strides raise questions—what’s lost when so much time is saved in the creation process? How will this affect education? Where can we find the human heart? Michal Janicki, a cross-disciplinary film maker, programmer, educator, and designer at IDEO, likens the current evolution to the advent of photography: “is it the person or the camera taking a photo?” he writes. In this interview, he also shares expert tools we might use in our own creative work as well as how educators might reframe AI as a benefit, rather than a threat, to learning.

As a multidisciplinary artist across tech and design, can you tell us about your career journey? In some of your recent work, how has poetry become a touchstone?
As a graphic designer by trade, my first encounter with utilizing poetry came in school, where layout, visual rhythm, and spacing were explained as musical or poetic in structure. My favorite example of this is how we traditionally place text on gravestones: centered with serif fonts. It’s somber and respectful. When words or paragraphs are placed on different parts of the page, it’s more playful, and leaves more space for interpretation. In my view, successful graphic design and poetry can activate similar areas of our brain. It never ceases to amaze me that a rigid system of symbols can be so powerful and work in an infinite number of ways. 

In your article “Poetic Algorithms,” you write, “With so much choice (and ease of creation) will things like a moving image of stars elicit little to no emotional response?” When creating AI-generated pieces, where, if at all, do you find the human in the art? In the process?
I find human expression in so many forms: it can be beautiful writing, but also an investment style of a mutual fund manager. I firmly believe most things become better if we remember to put humans first. AI presents complex challenges to what we consider human-made, but like any technology, with careful consideration it can be utilized as its own particular style of communication. I’m sure folks felt similar when photography came about: is it the person or the camera taking a photo? 

In considering the AI process, I focus on the intricate world of coding language. It involves a lengthy and complex procedure of carefully selecting the right sequence of characters to elicit the desired response. Language, initially devised by humans for practical purposes, has evolved into expressive forms like poetry. It's conceivable that these AI systems are a new evolution, with greater autonomy from their users to generate content independently based on the inputs provided. 

Across subject matters, developments in generative AI have been raising new questions around plagiarism. As an educator yourself, how do you feel institutions might embrace or restrict these tools? 
As a college-level educator, my primary interaction has been with students who actively seek to participate in class, eager to leave their mark and have their voices heard. Plagiarism, often indicating disinterest in the material, becomes more accessible with each technological advancement. Instead of restricting technology, addressing these issues might benefit from a human-centered approach. Understanding the implications and reaching a mutual agreement on how technology is used seems more productive. Take calculators, for example—they are universally available, yet we agree on the importance of learning the basics of math. Those pushing the boundaries in their field must grasp concepts beyond what calculators can address. AI technology is akin to a calculator, a powerful tool that, when used appropriately, can enhance our capabilities. Educators bear the responsibility of designing assignments that prioritize critical thinking and encourage expressive responses, steering away from a fixation on finding the "right answer."

In an ideal scenario, rather than restricting access to technologies, my hope is for equitable access and utilization to advance each field of study.

On a less abstract level: what are some favorite tools to generate video, sound, and text? Do you try to stay on top of the latest tech and if so, how?

Technology changes so fast, sometimes the tools I’m using shift their features dramatically across short periods of time. I’m lucky that I work with a group of very curious folks at IDEO who are passionate about exploring and sharing what they learn. I also put in effort to read about emerging technologies across the web and at conferences. 

In my videos, I have been experimenting with the Runway ML platform which features impressive text-to-video generation. For sound, Generative.fm showcases a great balance between human input and randomized output that does not depend on traditional song structures. For text, natural language processing tools like OpenAI’s GPT models work wonders.  

You mention the potential for AI to supercharge productivity—content creation can be shortened dramatically, for example. When many artists value their craft because of its time-intensive labors, what do you feel can be gained or lost by abbreviating the energy we spend on a project?
Productivity in a corporate context is a loaded word, often used as a more veiled way to say “monetary profit.” To me, AI is a fascinating development as it starts to side-step our culture’s obsession with seeing each other as a means to create profit. Could there be a world where machines both send and read work emails, create and watch advertisements, and then buy products based on their research, removing the humans from consumeristic cycles almost entirely? I’m imagining a buffer between being a person and participating in the creation of monetary value. Perhaps that could free us from considering profit as an end-goal of our existence, and allow us to focus on joy that is separate from productivity. Maybe a time-intensive craft of labor, which does not yield any monetary profit, is more valuable to our growth as humans than earning money (my immigrant parents would definitely disagree with me here!). I’d love to live in a world where we learn how to attribute value to our actions based on cultivating happiness and leverage technology to create a world that allows us to slow down, rather than speed up. 

With the digital art landscape expanding and shifting so quickly, what’s next in your work? 
 A few areas that currently have my attention are:
• Augmented reality and spatial design. The melding together the real and digital worlds in more seamless ways, and in the process, getting rid of screens).
• AI learning for dynamic content generation. For example, a chatbot programmed with a set of specific data, allowing the illusion of talking to an ancient poet or philosopher. 
• Integrating AI to allow students easier access to coding languages, bringing their sketched ideas to life, and exploring the questions raised in this interview with them to gain their perspectives.