Podcast 190: Devin Fleenor / S.E.E.D.

Do you wonder if I follow up on random interview requests? I sure do, and this week is the result of that effort. One of the listeners sent me a note about Devin Fleenor's S.E.E.D. project - and artificial intelligence art framework. I dove in a bit - and I had to learn more. I actually reached out to people that had seen the early stages of this work at Currents New Media Festival, and I began to see how this was growing into a significant piece of work. So then I had to talk to Devin. I really enjoy talking to people that are really excited about the things that they are discovering, and Devin is all over that. He has set the stage for some real heavy research, but it's all about responding to the viewer in some very particular ways. Whether it is enhancing the joyfulness of a piece based on your response, or switching things up when you start to become bored, this sort of responsive artwork seems to hold some very interesting options for the future. And it seems like a way to take A.I. into an artful, rather than just commercial, space. On the other hand, it seems like it could get creepy - which is the kind of risk that can make art exploration worth the effort. It's clear that Devin and the S.E.E.D. team are just starting to push some envelopes, but they also have set forth some serious goals for their work. Thanks to Devin for taking the time to walk me through this. To learn more, you can check out devinfleenor.com to watch some video content about the S.E.E.D. system, and to learn more about Devin himself.