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Sofian Audry

Artengine's at Artificial Imagination

Sofian Audry, an assistant professor of new media at the University of Maine, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on the intersection of art and technology. With a robust background in computer science, Sofian explored the philosophical and practical aspects of machine learning and artificial intelligence within the realm of contemporary art. They delved into how these technologies could be leveraged to question and expand our understanding of human nature and autonomy.

Sofian’s work primarily focuses on subverting traditional applications of AI and computer science to uncover insights about human imperfections and societal constructs. They described various projects where machine learning was not just a tool but a medium for artistic expression, revealing the intrinsic behaviors and unintended consequences embedded in these technologies. One highlight was a robot programmed with reinforcement learning, tasked with navigating the dilemma of sun exposure necessary for charging its solar panels while inherently avoiding light.

Throughout the talk, Sofian emphasized the concept of ‘agents’—entities acting in the world in response to observations—and how their behaviors can be perceived and interpreted differently, depending on the viewer’s engagement and the context provided by the artist. This approach invites viewers to reflect on the deeper implications of technology as a mirror to humanity. By interlacing AI with artistic creativity, Sofian advocates for a nuanced exploration of how these tools can both emulate and enhance human experiences, highlighting the blurred lines between creator and creation in the digital age.

This presentation was part of the symposium ARTIFICIAL IMAGINATION which unites innovative artists engaged with emerging technologies. This focused on exploring and sharing their individual practices, experiences, and insights related to algorithms, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. It served as a platform for an enriching exchange of ideas between the artists and the audience, aiming to contribute a distinctive artistic viewpoint to the ongoing discussions about our evolving relationships with machine collaborators. Each session, including this one, highlighted how these technologies are being integrated and reflected in contemporary artistic processes, encouraging a broader understanding and appreciation of the creative potential of new digital tools.

Sofian Audry is an artist, scholar, Professor of Interactive Media within the School of Media at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) and Co-Director of the Hexagram Network for Research-Creation in Art, Culture and Technology.

Their work explores the behavior of hybrid agents at the frontier of art, artificial intelligence, and artificial life, through artworks and writings. Audry’s book Art in the Age of Machine Learning examines machine learning art and its practice in art and music (MIT Press, 2021). Their artistic practice branches through multiple forms including robotics, installations, bio-art, and electronic literature.

Audrey studied computer science and mathematics (BSc, 2001), machine learning (MSc, 2003), and communication (interactive media) (MA, 2010) before completing a PhD in Humanities from Concordia University (2016). In 2017, they were a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and between 2017 and 2019, held Assistant Professor positions at the University of Maine and at Clarkson University. Sofian is an honorary member of artist-run center Perte de Signal (Montréal, Canada) which they led as president of the board in 2009-2017, and is actively involved in many open source softwares for new media.

Sofian Audry’s work and research have been shown at major international events and venues such as Ars Electronica, Barbican, Centre Pompidou, Club Transmediale, Dutch Design Week, Festival Elektra, International Digital Arts Biennale, International Symposium on Electronic Art, LABoral, La Gaîté Lyrique, Marrakech Biennale, Nuit Blanche Paris, Society for Arts and Technology, V2 Institute for Unstable Media, Muffathalle Munich and the Vitra Design Museum.

I’m interested in hijacking and subverting computer science and AI technologies and sort of use them to reveal some aspects of what makes us human. AI and most technologies are designed to be powerful, to control, to enslave. Like Susan mentioned earlier, to enslave nature, to enslave us all, and at the same time, to maybe solve some of our problems, to cope up with our deficiencies and our imperfections

Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence, trying to reproduce human performance in all kinds of spheres.