KI Summerschool "Hidden Layers" at International School of Design Cologne

What are the aesthetics, potentials and dangers we find in the hidden layers of artificial intelligence? How can we empower designers to develop and use machine learning systems? How can we support a design practice that not only understands how to use these systems, but also why and when we should - and should not - use them?

Machine learning and artificial intelligence promise (or threaten) to automate our working lives (not just in design), but it has been repeatedly shown that automation often turns out to be 'fauxtomation'. The hidden layers of machine learning often conceal the hidden work of underpaid (or even unpaid) workers. Presentations by Prof. Dr. Rebecca Fiebrink, Prof. Dr. Fabian Offert, Prof. Dr. Laura Forlano, among others, discussed the impact of automation on society and whether there is utopian and liberating potential in the technologies we call "intelligent".

The Summer School brought together a diverse group of experts to discuss artificial intelligence in design. It offered a public programme of lectures, an exhibition and workshops with internal meetings of the five art and design schools involved in the KITeGG project. From the Design Campus of Trier University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Matthias Sieveke, Alexander Bauer and Peter Ehses participated.

This summer school was the first in a series of eight summer/winter schools between 2022 and 2025. The next event will take place from 9 to 11 November 2022 at the HfG Offenbach.

Further information can be found at
www.hiddenlayers.de & www.gestaltung.ai