Sam Fox School to Host Second AI + Design Symposium
2024-02-16 • Sam Fox School
The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts is hosting the AI + Design Symposium again this spring following the event’s inaugural run in 2023. The one-day event brings together practitioners, researchers, and the WashU community to explore the growing field of artificial intelligence and how it intersects with design.
This year’s event, themed “Learning from AI,” will take place March 29 in Weil Hall. Panel discussions will address the creative design process and machine-augmented vision, and invite practitioners to share their insights on how AI might transform design in the coming years. Speakers Ian Bogost, Ewan Branda, Carla Diana, Catherine Griffiths, Jonathan Hanahan, Karel Klein, Amelia Winger-Bearskin, and Andrew Witt bring a variety of experiences in art, architecture, education, research, and software development.
Visiting Assistant Professor Matthew Allen, who is leading the organization of the event, shared that the symposium raises a crucial question: What perspective has AI offered on design itself? Allen draws a parallel to Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour’s 1972 book, “Learning from Las Vegas,” where they set out to learn about the bewildering transformation of the city’s built environment. He shared that the publication inspired a generation of designers with a common set of questions that informed theory and practice. Utilizing the same lens, the symposium asks what learning from AI may yield in terms of creative practice.
The symposium will include two panel discussions along with a reception and gallery talk. For more details and to register, visit the Sam Fox School calendar.