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Have you ever noticed that the word art is embedded in the phrase artificial intelligence? Neither did we, but when the opportunity presented itself to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) inspires artistic expression \u2014 with the help of internationally renowned Canadian artist Douglas Coupland<\/a> \u2014 the Google Research team jumped on it. This collaboration, with the support of Google Arts & Culture, culminated in a project called Slogans for the Class of 2030<\/a>, which spotlights the experiences of the first generation of young people whose lives are fully intertwined with the existence of AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This collaboration was brought to life by first introducing Coupland\u2019s written work to a machine learning language model. Machine learning is a form of AI that provides computer systems the ability to automatically learn from data. In this case, Google research scientists tuned a machine learning algorithm with Coupland\u2019s 30-year body of written work \u2014 more than a million words \u2014 so it would familiarize itself with the author\u2019s unique style of writing. From there, curated general-public social media posts on selected topics were added to teach the algorithm how to craft short-form, topical statements.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once the algorithm was trained, the next step was to process and reassemble suggestions of text for Coupland to use as inspiration to create twenty-five Slogans for the Class of 2030<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI would comb through \u2018data dumps\u2019 where characters from one novel were speaking with those in other novels in ways that they might actually do. It felt like I was encountering a parallel universe Doug,\u201d Coupland says. \u201cAnd from these outputs, the statements you see here in this project appeared like gems. Did I write them? Yes. No. Could they have existed without me? No.\u201d<\/p>\n A common theme in Coupland\u2019s work is the investigation of the human condition through the lens of pop culture. The focus on the class of 2030 was intentional. Coupland wanted to create works that would serve as inspiration for students in their early teens who will be graduating from universities in 2030. For those teens considering their future career paths, he hoped that this collaboration would trigger a broader conversation on the vast possibilities in the field and would acquaint them with the fact that AI does not have to be strictly scientific, it can be artful.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n