News/Research

ATC Video Now Online: Tom White

01 Jun, 2020

ATC Video Now Online: Tom White

Tom White offered a stunning finale to our 2020 Art, Technology and Culture Colloquium with Neural Abstractions. In his talk, Tom asked how machines perceive the world. Tom White has investigated enabling computer vision systems to draw their own visual abstractions through the creation of abstract ink print artworks. Though these artificial vision systems are trained only on real world images, when forced to express themselves abstractly they are able to create simpler forms that match their internal representations. These prints are also understood universally across most AI systems trained to recognise the same objects. It’s art by AI, for AI. By giving the algorithms the ability to express themselves directly, we are better able to see the world through the eyes of a machine. Taking us on a journey from the first machine abstractions to the algorithmic work produced today, Tom opens eyes to the world of how machines interact with art.