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Mathemagical Media

Generative AI and Its Images

Mathemagical Media cover

Description

In this book, Jihoon Kim introduces new concepts to describe the unique blend of statistical precision and seemingly magical effects in generative AI.

Generative AI models-such as GPT-4o for text, DALL·E and Midjourney for images, and SORA for video-are artificial intelligence systems that create new content based on patterns they've learned from vast amounts of data. Unlike traditional software, they don't follow fixed rules but use deep learning to generate realistic text, images, and videos in response to user prompts. While they open new creative possibilities, they also raise concerns about misinformation, bias, labor exploitation, and resource consumption. Are these models just advanced digital tools, or do they represent a deeper shift in how we create and experience media?

Much like early photography once seemed uncanny, AI-generated content feels both familiar and otherworldly. Exploring how these models are reshaping photography, cinema, and visual culture, Kim challenges claims that AI is approaching human intelligence. Instead, he encourages readers to look critically at how AI functions and what it means for art and creativity. Drawing from AI research, media history, and art theory, this book offers a fresh, accessible perspective on the impact of generative AI on our world.

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Table of Contents

Dedication
Acknowledgments

Introduction
1. Elements of Mathemagical Media
2. Different Mathematics and Generativity
3. A Media Archaeology of Generative AI
4. AI Photography's 'Composite Reality Effects'
5. Generative AI's 'Surrealism without the Unconscious'
6. A New Nascent Cinema

Afterword
List of Illustrations
Endnotes
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published 18 Mar 2027
Format Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
Edition 1st
Pages 256
ISBN 9798765163696
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Illustrations 48 bw illus
Series International Texts in Critical Media Aesthetics
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Jihoon Kim

Jihoon Kim is Professor of Cinema and Media Studie…

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