The next phase of AI development needs to make AI more emotionally intelligent. This is a vast field with rich areas of research yet to be done. One useful question in this field is "can we teach a machine to paint images with emotional content - a happy composition, or a melancholic image with a tinge of hope?". A more interesting question is "what does a machine learn in order to do that, what does it tell us about how our own emotional calculus". Generative adversarial networks, or GANs, are one of the hottest areas of AI research and generative art, and Tariq Rachid has been exploring whether they can be applied to this challenge. This beginner-friendly talk will introduce neural networks, GANs, and explore some of the challenges in training them, and share an update on his research.

This Lunchtime Talk is part of Open Studio Friday, which takes place at the Studio every week.

Do you want to find out what is going on at the Pervasive Media Studio? Are you interested in meeting our residents, talking about a specific project or curious about pervasive media? Why not pack a sandwich and join us for one of our Lunchtime Talks and Open Studio Friday. Lunchtime Talks are informal presentations by Studio residents and associates. They normally take place at 1pm on Friday, are free and open to everybody who’s interested in what we do. After the Talk, we also invite you to stay with us for the afternoon to continue the conversation or work on your own projects. We provide chairs, tables, wireless and a great space. You bring what you need to work with (laptop/mobile). Our open afternoons close at 5pm. Let us know if you’d like a tour of the space and we'll be happy to show you around just before the talk. Send an email to: studio@watershed.co.uk to book your place on a tour.

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