AI Adapt Conference

The School of Media & IT held a mini conference called "A.I. ADAPT - Transforming work in tech and media" in December. This conference was organised as a follow-up to a smaller AI-themed conference that took place in April 2023.

Adapting to AI

The conference sought to explore and discuss the potential contributions of AI in the Media & IT industries and challenge those who may have reservations or limited understanding of its capabilities. Given that AI is undeniably a part of our future, the faculty aimed to spark excitement and encourage open dialogue about embracing and adapting to this transformative era.

The conference was connected to PCU's academic theme 'Adapt' for 2023-24, with students encouraged to explore topics like technological progress and evolving work dynamics. 'Adapt' also represents resilience, flexibility, and forward thinking and acknowledges that change is inevitable, offering opportunities for growth and innovation.

The conference programme featured industry experts working in the field of AI with firsthand experience using AI tools and in some instances, have even contributed to the development of new ones.

Data, AI and IoT

Petr Švarný, former lecturer at PCU, is Product Lead at Datamole, a Prague-based data and artificial intelligence (AI) company and works with companies in the agricultural, manufacturing, biotech and foodtech sectors helping them innovate through IoT, machine learning and AI pre-made and custom solutions. He gave a presentation on the difficulties that arise when using AI in conjunction with distributed sensors such as fibre optic sensing technologies.

AI in Research: Navigating the double-edged sword of efficiency and ethical challenges

Gabriela Rolová from the Department of Addictology at Charles University’s First Faculty of Medicine presented on how artificial intelligence can boost research efficiency while posing ethical challenges. Her session examined how AI-powered tools (e.g., ChatGPT) can help with day-to-day research practice and how to use AI responsibly to enhance research without compromising ethical considerations.

AI Safety and Robustness

Nikolaus Howe from Mila - Quebec’s Artificial Intelligence Institute in Canada, presented on how AI is becoming increasingly capable and is poised to reshape our lives in the coming years and decades. Yet, by default, AI systems are not safe: they are hard to interpret, they break in unexpected ways, and there is uncertainty in how to align them with our values. He also spoke on AI safety, which included a real-life example illustrating how even AI models with superior capabilities can make mistakes in challenging environments.

AI/ML Principles for Virtual Production

Jan Buriánek is a Solutions Architect at AV Media responsible for 3D projects and interactive multi-projection technologies. He also consults on computer image processing technologies and is the author of a number of scientific publications and magazines focused on advanced image and video processing. During his lecture he spoke about the various ways to use AI in 3D stereoscopic projections/acquisitions, optical tracking and Virtual Reality environments.

Collective artistic creation in the era of GenAI

Mika Johnson is a multimedia artist with an interest in dream-like narratives, mythos, ritual, and biodiversity. He specialises in designing VR installations and works across many mediums, including as a director for fiction and documentary projects. His lecture aimed to stimulate discussion on how individual self-expression when using AI – and in the future Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), will swing creators towards a hive mind. Leading to artists working as a community that shares knowledge and opinions, fostering collective intelligence. However, it is important to encourage critical thinking to prevent conformity.

Rethinking Creativity: Adapting AI into Artistic Process

Daniel Severa, Creative Director for TweakPost, a visual effects and post-production agency, wrapped up the conference with his presentation on how to adapt AI into artistic processes. Dan a seasoned VFX supervisor and marketing expert demonstrated how to use AI for idea making through to a finished marketing campaign. He also discussed the tools and techniques that will remain relevant, explored whether prompt engineering is a legitimate profession, and emphasised the significance of understanding our responsibilities as creators before utilising these tools.

Overall, the conference speakers were able to highlight the potential contributions of AI in the Media & IT industries as well as the potential challenges and concerns that come with its use. Students departed feeling inspired to try the new platforms and tools within their specialisation, eager to master AI’s potential for their work.