{"id":3558,"date":"2023-10-18T10:53:47","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T14:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/source\/?p=3558"},"modified":"2023-10-18T10:56:34","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T14:56:34","slug":"data-poetry-might-predict-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/source\/data-poetry-might-predict-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Data & Poetry might predict the future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Amy Koshoffer, assistant director for Research and Data Services, and Ben Kline, assistant department head of Research, Teaching and Services<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ben Kline introducing the panelist at Data & Poetry | Poetry & Data<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, students, staff and faculty from around campus and the community gathered in the Walter C. Langsam Library\u2019s Elliston Poetry Room for Data & Poetry | Poetry & Data Workshop: Attributes of the Code & the Line<\/strong>. Featuring participants that included University of Cincinnati law faculty, librarians, data scientists and community poets, this event invited attendees to explore relationships between data and poetry, how emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs might change the nature and our perceptions of poetry and literature, as well as the implications these technologies present for copyright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presented by Amy Koshoffer,<\/strong> assistant director for Research and Data Services, and Ben Kline<\/strong>, from the Research, Teaching and Services Department, the event featured a trio of panelists with diverse expertise and experience on the relevant topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After Amy and Ben introduced the afternoon\u2019s overarching concepts concerning data as poetry and poetry as data, sharing examples of each and discussing how to access said resources in the Libraries\u2019 Summon discovery tool, Kay Bancroft,<\/strong> a poet, editor, educator and artist, shared data-intensive poetry from their in-progress collection of poems. Kay merges creative writing with pre-existing structures, data and more.\u00a0About the event, Kay said, \u201cBeing in conversation with creatives, data scientists, lawyers and students alike was an eye-opening experience and a vibrant, informative conversation. Cultivating spaces where we can discuss burgeoning societal issues is no small feat, and the Data & Poetry event was a success in this\u2014it created a safe, thriving, exciting conversation about advanced technology, which affects us all.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Next, Mark Chalmers, <\/strong>science and engineering librarian who manages the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Library’s coding workshops and an AI enthusiast, introduced the audience to the basics of AI apps, large language models and how to craft prompts to achieve the best output from the applications. Mark conducted a live demonstration of prompt engineering, AI output, creating a usable text that Kay reinterpreted as an erasure poem, re-contextualizing output into a transformed, generative new work. \u201cWorking on this collaboration took me out of my comfort zone, which was a great challenge, but also an opportunity for growth. I personally valued the unique experience of collaborating with an AI, Ben and Kay in a way I never could have predicted. This event was like a collision of worlds where different perspectives came together in the spirit of exploration. It was awesome to be a part of it and I was enriched by the experience.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Tim Armstrong,<\/strong> a lawyer, associate dean of faculty and research, professor of law, and technologist who studies the intersection of advanced communications technologies and intellectual property law, followed Kay\u2019s poem with a brief presentation on AI, creative work and the current legal environment around the use of AI. Many of the laws that pertain to copyright were written in the 1970\u2019s and much has yet to be adjudicated in the courts. \u201cTechnologists, lawyers, and poets have more in common than they might think\u2014that\u2019s the lesson from the recent \u201cPoetry and Data\u201d workshop. Generative AI tools offer opportunities, not just threats; and I was fascinated to see how skilled creators can incorporate these new tools into projects that remain powerfully, and recognizably, human.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In the Q&A that followed, presenters answered numerous questions, further exploring the connection between the research process, the nature of prompting, how large language models are trained and the relation of technology to the poet\u2019s work. They discussed the power of AI, its limitations for nuance and emotion, and how the issues of copyright manifest for poets working in today\u2019s mostly digital publishing environment. The event was live streamed through the Elliston Instagram account<\/a>, and an audio recording of the event will be available through the Elliston audio archive<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bibliography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poems<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n