AI-generated images have now become part of our everyday visual culture. They are shared millions of times a day on social networks and we encounter them on magazine covers, in galleries and on advertising posters. However, generative AI has been highly controversial from the outset. While some rave about unprecedented artistic possibilities, others warn of the mass appropriation, exploitation and devaluation of creative work by the big tech companies. And now that the initial hype surrounding Dall-E, Midjourney & Co. seems to be fading, the problematic aspects of technology are increasingly coming into focus: its massive consumption of resources and energy, its tendency to reproduce and even reinforce racist and sexist stereotypes, and the danger of mass disinformation. We want to critically discuss all these and other aspects in the by making use of concrete examples alongside joint readings and research.
We want to familiarize ourselves with the conceptual foundations and media-cultural prerequisites of generative AI, consider its various fields of application and follow current developments together.