AI Generated Art: An Investigation into Computational Creativity

Overview

This PhD project seeks to investigate the increasingly complex and at times fraught relationship between Artificial Intelligence AI and the production of art. The emergence of AI in a whole range of different artistic practices, ranging from photography to painting, provokes a critical enquiry in relation to authorship, originality, criticality and ethics. Art produced with the help of computer algorithms challenges, subverts and threatens the modernist concept of the artist as creative genius. AI generated art has the capacity to seriously disrupt established structures, whilst it also provides an immense opportunity for further research. This PhD project recognizes the profound impact that AI is having in relation to creative practices as well as visual culture more broadly. Applicants interested in exploring this complex research area are encouraged to narrow the line of enquiry through specific research questions as well as methodologies. We are herewith seeking for PhD proposals that aim to critically examine AI generated art, either through the traditional pathway of a PhD by thesis, or the practice-based pathway of a PhD by thesis combined with a substantial body of practice.

The successful applicant would join the newly established Design and Digital Arts department, based in the School of Art and Design. The school has a vibrant, forward-looking and expanding research community where collaboration and interdisciplinarity are embraced and encouraged. PhD candidates would have access to a number of highly relevant research groups mainly, though not exclusively, based within the Artistic Research Centre and the Design Research Centre. For those wishing to conduct practice-based research, PhD candidates would also have access to a vast array of different technical workshops and facilities.

The successful applicant would be principally supervised Dr. Marco Bohr, Associate Professor in Design and Digital Arts. Applicants interested in applying for this PhD opportunity are welcome to send a draft proposal of circa 1,500 words (excluding a bibliography) directly to Dr. Marco Bohr at marco.bohr@ntu.ac.uk for feedback and guidance. Under clear headings or subheadings, the proposal needs to contain the following information: the proposed title of the project, the research area, the research question(s) to be investigated including an explanation of why the proposed research area is likely to lead to high quality research outcomes, why the research area has been chosen, the methodology, the research context including references to other work in the field, the purpose and originality of the research as well as a full bibliography. Further information about Research Degrees at NTU can be found here: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/research-degrees-at-ntu

References

Bohr, Marco et al (eds) (2018), The Evolution of the Image: Political Action and the Digital Self. London: Routledge.