This week we presented our final projects. My group joined two other groups to present to Professor Vesna's fiat lux class as they were learning about food studies. It was a great experience to present and interact with students outside of our class and DESMA, as it allowed us to present to a new audience and gain different perspectives. Since the focus of their class is food, it was great to stray away from the artistic aspects of our project and really start a lot of discourse about the history and science of food. One thing that I found consistent with all three groups was an emphasis on the camaraderie that cooking brings as well as the variety of food itself.

For example, Peyton, Valentin, and Ruth based their project on bread. Not only were they able to present various types of bread that they made, but they also shared the process of its creation, and how Peyton for example made bread with a friend of hers. I found it interesting that, like kimchi, bread offers so many different textures and tastes that change merely by adjusting certain ingredients. I also think that bread is unique in that it does not require many ingredients, and yet grows into something that an entire classroom can enjoy together.

Charles and Rachel shared a very beautiful presentation as well. They referenced alot to Professor's HOX Zodiac project, and they took their own unique approach of embodying their signs. I think that the table they set up was a very nostalgic image. Aileen and I talked about how it reminded us of the traditional dinner table set up that our families prepared. The food that they brought was also very nostalgic as Rachel and Charles brought a lot of food that I ate growing up in the asian community such as soba noodles and Milkis beverages.

On Thursday we joined the rest of our class to see their presentations. One that stood out to me in particular was Sue Bin and Ryan's project which highlighted the darker aspects of AI. The class had a conversation after their project about ChatGPT, and how technology is infiltrating more aspects of our lives. It was alarming to hear how much control we give these programs by making it do human work. One of our classmates said something along the lines of technology controlling us the more we try to control it which was really interesting to hear. I was reminded of an article I had read about students using ChatGPT to cheat, and how "more than a quarter of K-12 teachers have caught their students cheating using ChatGPT." I think it is important to discuss technology, especially in art classes, because it is something that has drastically changed how many artists present and create work. AI in general was always a topic that intimidated me, especially with all that it is now able to do, so I am glad that their presentation was able to hone in on what many gloss over because oftentimes we hear about all the good that it does. 

Sources:
https://www.edweek.org/technology/chatgpt-cheating-what-to-do-when-it-happens/2023/02
https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2023/01/28/the-dark-side-of-chatgpt/?sh=7d64ef174799