Human interaction with technical artifacts is often mediated by treating them as if they are intentional and alive. We exclaim "my car doesn’t want to start," or "my computer loves to crash." Yet, of increasing cultural importance are systems designed to appear intelligent and to perform tasks formerly seen as the realm of humans. Such systems now inhabit our communication devices (“smart” mobile phones), entertainments and arts (CGI and computer game characters), households (robotic appliances), and even our own bodies (bioengineering). The talk incorporates three aspects: 1) emphasizing the nature of computational technologies, particularly AI, as cultural production, 2) investigating the crucial role of human interpretation and narration in constructing "intentionality" of digital systems, and 3) producing novel digital artifacts that engage system intentionality as an expressive dimension to explore the relationship between humanity
and technology. My research, at its broadest, seeks to critique, interpret, and implement these phenomena as they become more ubiquitous in everyday life.

Bio:
Jichen Zhu is a Ph.D. candidate in the Digital Media program at Georgia Institute of Technology, with a concurrent Master’s Degree in Computer Science. As a member of the Imagination, Computation, and Expression (ICE) Lab/Studio, Jichen’s work covers both the theory and practice of artificial intelligence (AI) systems as an expressive cultural production. Her interdisciplinary research resides in the intersection of digital media theory, philosophy of mind/AI, hermeneutics, computer science, and interactive narrative. She holds a Master’s degree in Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University, and a B.S. in Architecture from McGill University, Canada.

Web:
http://steel.lcc.gatech.edu/~jzhu/