Scrutinizing AI: AI Art and Changes in University Education (Part 2)

*Editor’s note: K-VIBE invites experts from various K-culture sectors to share their extraordinary discovery about the Korean culture.

Contributed by Lee Eun-jun (professor at Kyungil University)

I live a life as both a teacher who educates students at a university and a media artist engaged in artistic work. Because of this, I sometimes experience unexpected moments of artistic inspiration in my everyday life.

As a teacher, these moments usually come during interactions with students. Whether through class discussions, one-on-one meetings, or collaborative projects, I have had many experiences of ‘the moment’ through these exchanges.

Especially, many of the artistic inspirations that once only lingered abstractly in my mind were resolved through interactions with students. There were times when I discovered that the student was thinking the same way as me, and when our ideas collided, a 'spark' would occur, leading to surprising conclusions.

▲ An AI-generated image of a university class utilizing AI robots, provided by the author. (Yonhap)

◇ ‘The Birth of Thought’ and ‘Simultaneity of Asynchrony’

I’ve heard that such moments are often called 'the simultaneity of asynchrony.' It's like when a memory or melody of a song suddenly comes to mind, but you don't know what it is, and then, by chance, the song comes on the car radio, and the DJ tells you what it is. These days, music apps can help search for songs, but they can’t find the one that’s just echoing in your head.

The 'simultaneity of asynchrony' is, in fact, a miraculous moment that's almost impossible to experience in a lifetime.

Having experienced such miraculous moments several times in conversations and classes with students, I have gained valuable experiences in life. Moreover, through teaching, I’ve also learned the universal principle that one learns while teaching, which has led to artistic inspiration. This, in turn, has had a positive influence on my own work, making my life feel fulfilling.

Of course, living two lives simultaneously—both as a teacher and an artist—is not always easy. But, life is never smooth, and I continuously push myself forward, navigating through it.

These days, I have one more source of artistic inspiration: the many artificial intelligence programs I use. Some argue that AI’s results are merely derived from learning vast amounts of data, and thus, applying it to creative work is problematic.

However, my perspective is a little different.

As mentioned earlier, I applied the artistic inspiration gained from conversations and classes with students to AI programs and extended it further. I brought that back to class, and together with my students, we developed it further. I created a cyclical structure. Many students took the issues I presented and applied them to their own assignments and interests, expanding their work into creative projects, producing new results.

In the process, I once again experienced the ‘simultaneity of asynchrony’ when the items I had conceptually thought about in my mind were concretized by a student.

‘Eureka!’

At some point, I became Archimedes. I have had many surprising experiences of ‘Eureka’ moments through artificial intelligence. At this point, AI has become an excellent material for inspiration in my daily life.

The joy of sharing that moment with my students has become a major source of energy in my life. The moment of ‘the birth of thought,’ when using AI programs in creative work, has been a remarkable experience for me.

The ‘birth of thought’ is something AI cannot do. It belongs solely to me and the students who participate in my classes.

◇ The Future of AI Art and the Role of Universities

We are no longer in an era where we question whether artificial intelligence can create art.

Now is the time to consider the collaboration between AI and humans. Universities are recognizing this and moving towards expanding AI-based education.

So, how will art education change in the future?

First, we must establish a model of collaboration between AI and human creators. Professors should not simply teach students to use AI as a new tool but instead teach them how to engage in creative dialogue with AI. In other words, prompt engineering based on linguistics should be done, but with artistic sensitivity to help AI grow.

Second, we need to increase courses on AI-based art philosophy. How should we evaluate the creativity of AI-generated works? How do we make value judgments between human artistic expression and AI algorithms? Everyone must seriously reflect on these questions.

Third, research into the combination of AI and traditional art must be pursued. It is necessary to educate students that AI is not a new technology but a tool that complements and expands traditional art forms.

In the age of AI, what should artists prepare for?

With the advent of AI, the role of the artist is also changing. An artist should no longer be someone who simply creates works, but someone who explores new artistic concepts using AI.

Universities must also adapt to this change and provide art education that necessarily includes AI. In the past, creating paintings or sculptures was considered art, but now collaborating with AI has become the new standard of art.

Indeed, AI is a tool that aids creativity.

It is a tool that helps you do what you want by assisting with what you must do. For example, to attend university (what you want to do), you must pass the college entrance exam (what you need to do to achieve your goal), so students must study hard. In this sense, AI should be viewed as an essential element for achieving life goals and approached accordingly.

The key is how creatively we can use this tool.

Artists have no need to fear AI. They simply need to learn how to create art alongside it. This is essential for aspiring artists in university undergraduate programs.

This year, it will be fascinating to observe how AI-based art is transforming universities.

In a few years, many people who have lived as art consumers will quickly transition to becoming creators of art using AI.

Following the digital transformation, the era of "AI transformation" has already arrived.