AI's Journey: From Object Recognition to Artistic Appreciation with Dr. David G. Stork

Most of us would have heard of interesting use cases of generative AI in creating art. After all, that is a significant bulk of the buzz with AI today. But have you heard anything about using AI to analyze art? This is the space that today's guest lives in. In this episode, Eathan Janney is joined by David Stork, a distinguished scientist, author, and innovator with significant contributions to various fields like machine learning, pattern recognition, computer vision, and artificial intelligence. David is a prolific author covering a diversity of topics, including computational optics and image analysis of fine art. David is putting the final touches on his upcoming book titled Pixels and Paintings. Join the conversation and find out what AI can do to help us better appreciate and understand art, how David is optimistic about the future based on evidence from his own experience, and when and when not to use computers to learn stuff. Tune in!
🔑Key Takeaways: Deep neural networks have revolutionized AI and machine learning by enabling the analysis and interpretation of large data sets, such as images. AI can assist art scholars in analyzing paintings by providing insights into lighting analysis, pose estimation, and other aspects of art analysis. The use of AI in art analysis does not replace the expertise of art scholars but enhances their understanding and interpretation of fine art. Symbolic mathematics and computer-assisted techniques allow for more efficient and accurate solving of complex mathematical problems. Individuals should be intentional about leveraging the capabilities of computers while also developing their own skills and understanding.
💬Quotes: "AI can assist art scholars in addressing problems they've never encountered before and provide more accurate insights than human connoisseurs." "The use of AI in art analysis allows for the analysis of thousands of paintings in a few minutes, providing valuable insights into artistic trends and techniques." "More and more mathematics is going to be done symbolically on a computer, just the way, like dividing large numbers. You don't do that by hand anymore, right?" "Be very intentional about what you want to leave to the computer and what you want to learn, and don't ignore either side of it." "Symbolic mathematics is dealing with the symbols. It's just extraordinary development. I just love this stuff."