Art in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

“The atom bomb and its explosion are the mere final emission of what has long since taken place, has already happened.”

Martin Heidegger’s thoughts on the threat of nuclear holocaust may also shed light on the dream and nightmare of AI. Indeed, these two upheavals—nuclear war and machine intelligence—may be more than technologically related; they may share a spiritual élan. After all, Heidegger’s contemporary Rudolf Steiner spoke of two devils haunting modern humanity: Ahriman and Lucifer. Industry and algorithm.

What is this event that has already happened and announces itself now in the form of machines seeming to think, dream, and write sonnets? What does it mean for the artists and seekers among us, those whom Jack Kerouac lovingly called the Mad Ones? 

Over the past few years, artificial intelligence has made remarkable strides, showcasing unprecedented capabilities in domains such as image generation, music composition, storytelling, and even filmmaking. As Lucifer and Ahriman blur the boundaries between creation and generation, human and machine, they present us with an extraordinary challenge: to rediscover our essence, redefine our purpose, and learn to dream the Real into being.

ART IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE consists of readings, lectures, and group discussions. For J.F. Martel, this is an opportunity to expand on ideas first expressed in Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artifice in view of contemporary developments in technology, culture, and society.

Class Outline

There will be seven Zoom lectures, each with two follow-up group discussions scheduled to accommodate students in different time zones.

• Lectures will take place on Tuesday evenings at 8 PM Eastern Time, starting September 12, 2023.

• Group discussions will take place on Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern Time, and on Sundays at 3 PM Eastern Time.

Lecture Dates

September 12           Week 1: Inception

September 19          Week 2: Demonologies

September 26          Week 3: Subcreation

October 3           Week 4: Imagineering

October 10            Week 5: Real Machines

October 17             Week 6: The Night Land

October 24           Week 7: Initiation

Please note that all lectures and discussion groups will be recorded and made available to students on the Nura Learning site throughout the duration of the course.

The site also includes a course-specific discussion forum and a section for course materials.

Student Learning Outcomes

This is a course for the Mad Ones: the artists, creatives, mystics, philosophers, and weirdos of late capitalism. If you have enjoyed Reclaiming Art or listen to the Weird Studies Podcast, you will find much to dig in this course.

Students will:

• Explore the aesthetic, metaphysical, and ethical underpinnings of the technological refashioning of human life.

• Rethink the nature of imagination and artistic creation.

• Gain access to a selection of readings in philosophy, art criticism, and cultural history, as well as poems, novel excerpts, and literary essays.

• Have the opportunity to share and exchange ideas with the instructor and fellow students.

• Join a thriving online community on Nura Learning, concerned with the direction our world is taking and convinced that a different way of seeing the world is possible.

Registration: $195

Alumni and Patreon members receive a $25 discount link. Please send us a brief note if you would like us to resend it.

Student rates:
Send us a note to receive a pay-what-you-can registration link: info (at) nuralearning (dot) com

Thank you, and see you in class!

Featured image: Golem from the Wax Museum in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.