Among the Living

3D Printing

An additive manufacturing process that creates three-dimensional objects by depositing materials layer by layer based on a digital model. It has applications in manufacturing, medicine, art, and many other fields.

5G Network

The fifth generation of cellular network technology, designed to provide faster data speeds, lower latency, and the ability to connect many more devices simultaneously compared to previous generations.

AI Art Valuation

The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to estimate the value of artworks. These systems analyze vast amounts of data on past sales, artist reputation, and market trends to provide valuations.

AI-Generated Art Copyright

The complex legal and ethical questions surrounding the copyright status of artworks created by artificial intelligence. This includes debates about whether AI can be considered an author and who owns the rights to AI-generated works.

Algorithm

A step-by-step procedure or formula for solving a problem or accomplishing a task. In computing, algorithms are the foundation for everything from simple calculations to complex machine learning models, guiding how computers process information and make decisions.

Algorithmic Art

Art created using computer algorithms as a significant part of the creative process. The artist writes code that generates or manipulates visual elements, often resulting in complex patterns or forms.

Algorithmic bias

The tendency of algorithms to reflect or amplify existing societal biases, often due to biased training data or flawed algorithm design. This can lead to unfair or discriminatory outcomes in areas like hiring, lending, or criminal justice when AI systems are used.

Appropriation Art

The use of pre-existing objects or images with little or no transformation applied to them. In the digital age, this concept has expanded to include the remixing and recontextualization of online content.

Appropriation Art in the Digital Age

The practice of using pre-existing images or objects to create new artworks, now expanded to include digital content. This raises complex copyright questions, especially when involving viral memes or social media content.

Art Market Analytics

The use of data analysis tools to study trends, predict prices, and inform decision-making in the art market. This field has grown with the increasing availability of online art sales data.

Artificial Emotion

The development of AI systems capable of recognizing, interpreting, processing, and simulating human emotions. This field combines computer science with psychology and cognitive science.

Artificial general intelligence (AGI)

A hypothetical type of AI that would have the ability to understand, learn, and apply its intelligence to any problem, much like a human. Unlike narrow AI, AGI would not be limited to specific tasks.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

The field of computer science dedicated to creating systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. This includes problem-solving, learning, perception, and language understanding.

Artificial neural network

A computing system inspired by biological neural networks in animal brains. It consists of interconnected nodes ("neurons") that process and transmit information, allowing the system to learn and make decisions.

Augmented Reality (AR)

A technology that overlays digital information onto the real world, typically through smartphone cameras or special glasses. AR enhances the user's perception of reality by blending virtual elements with the physical environment.

Automated decision-making

The use of AI systems to make decisions without human intervention. This can range from simple rule-based systems to complex machine learning models that analyze large amounts of data to reach conclusions.

Big Data

Extremely large datasets that can be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations. Big data is characterized by high volume, velocity, and variety of information.

Bioart

An art practice where artists work with live tissues, bacteria, organisms, and life processes, often collaborating with scientists. Bioart raises questions about the manipulation of life for artistic purposes and the ethics of biotechnology.

Biometrics

The measurement and statistical analysis of people's unique physical and behavioral characteristics. In technology, biometrics is used for identification and access control, including facial recognition and fingerprint scanning.

Blockchain

A decentralized, digital ledger technology that records transactions across a network of computers. Each block in the chain contains a number of transactions, and every time a new transaction occurs, a record of it is added to every participant's ledger.

Blockchain Art

Artwork that either uses blockchain technology as a medium or addresses blockchain as a subject. This can include tokenized digital art, blockchain-based generative art, or conceptual works exploring the implications of blockchain technology.

Blockchain Art Funds

Investment vehicles that use blockchain technology to manage and trade art assets. These funds can offer increased liquidity and fractional ownership opportunities in the art market.

Blockchain Copyright Registration

The use of blockchain technology to register and verify copyright claims. This can provide a tamper-proof, time-stamped record of when a work was created and by whom.

Blockchain Provenance

The use of blockchain technology to create an immutable record of an artwork's history, including its creation, ownership changes, and exhibition history. This can help combat forgery and increase transparency in the art market.

Cloud Computing

The delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet ("the cloud") to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

Compute

The processing power and resources required to run AI models and perform complex calculations. As AI models grow larger and more sophisticated, the demand for compute has increased dramatically.

Computer vision

A field of AI that trains computers to interpret and understand visual information from the world. This includes tasks like image recognition, object detection, and scene understanding.

Computer-generated Imagery (CGI)

The application of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, films, television programs, commercials, and simulators. CGI has revolutionized visual effects in entertainment.

Conceptual Art

An art movement that emerged in the 1960s, prioritizing the idea or concept behind the work over its aesthetic or material qualities. Conceptual artists often use language, documentation, and everyday objects to convey their ideas.

Copyleft

A form of licensing that uses copyright law to allow free distribution of a work and requires all modified and extended versions of the work to be free as well. This concept is often used in open-source software and some digital art practices.

Copyright in the Digital Age

The set of rights that protect original works of authorship in the digital realm. This includes the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the work, which can be challenging to enforce in the easily replicable digital environment.

Creative Commons

A nonprofit organization that provides free, easy-to-use copyright licenses to make it easier for people to share and build upon creative works. These licenses are widely used in digital art and open-source projects.

Crypto Art Marketplaces

Online platforms specifically designed for the sale of crypto art and NFTs. These marketplaces often integrate with cryptocurrency wallets and may offer additional features like minting NFTs or social interactions.

Cryptoart

Digital artworks associated with uniquely identifiable tokens stored on a blockchain. Cryptoart has gained prominence with the rise of NFTs, allowing digital artists to create verifiable scarcity and ownership for their works.

Cryptocurrency

A digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security and operates independently of a central bank. Bitcoin and Ethereum are well-known examples, but there are thousands of different cryptocurrencies.

Cryptography

The practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adversaries. In the digital age, cryptography is essential for securing online transactions, protecting data privacy, and verifying digital identities.

Cybersecurity

The practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. It involves technologies, processes, and practices designed to defend against, detect, and respond to cyber threats.

DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act)

A United States copyright law that addresses copyright issues in the digital age, including provisions for safe harbor for online service providers and anti-circumvention of technological protection measures.

Data Ethics

The branch of ethics that studies and evaluates moral problems related to data, algorithms, and corresponding practices. It deals with issues like data privacy, bias in data collection and analysis, and the responsible use of data.

Data Mining

The process of discovering patterns, correlations, and insights from large datasets using methods at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems.

Data Visualization

The graphical representation of information and data using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps. It helps in making complex data more accessible, understandable, and usable.

Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO)

An organization represented by rules encoded as a computer program that is transparent, controlled by the organization members, and not influenced by a central government. DAOs are often used in the context of Web3 and blockchain projects.

Decentralized Exchange (DEX)

A type of cryptocurrency exchange which operates in a decentralized way, without an intermediary organization overseeing the transactions. DEXs allow for peer-to-peer trading of cryptocurrencies.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

A blockchain-based form of finance that doesn't rely on central financial intermediaries such as brokerages, exchanges, or banks to offer traditional financial instruments. Instead, it utilizes smart contracts on blockchains.

Decentralized Storage

Systems for storing files across a distributed network rather than on centralized servers. Projects like IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) are often used in conjunction with blockchain technology to store digital artworks.

Deep learning

A subset of machine learning based on artificial neural networks with multiple layers. Deep learning models can automatically learn representations of data with multiple levels of abstraction, making them powerful for tasks like image and speech recognition.

Deepfakes

Synthetic media in which a person's likeness is replaced with someone else's using AI techniques. This technology can create highly realistic but fake videos or audio recordings, raising concerns about misinformation and privacy.

Derivative Works in the Digital Age

New works based upon one or more preexisting works. In the context of digital art, this could include remixes, mash-ups, or AI-generated variations of existing artworks, all of which raise complex copyright questions.

Digital Art

Artistic works or practices that use digital technologies as an essential part of the creative or presentation process. This includes art made using computer software, digital cameras, or other electronic devices.

Digital Art Galleries

Online platforms that showcase and sell digital artworks. These can range from traditional galleries with digital presences to fully virtual galleries in 3D environments or the metaverse.

Digital Divide

The gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology, and those that don't or have restricted access. This division can reinforce socioeconomic inequality and hinder social mobility.

Digital First Sale Doctrine

The application of the first sale doctrine (which allows the owner of a lawfully purchased copyrighted work to resell it) to digital goods. This is a contentious area in digital art markets and affects the resale of digital artworks and NFTs.

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Technologies used to control access to copyrighted digital materials. In the art world, DRM can be used to limit the reproduction or distribution of digital artworks.

Digital Scarcity

The concept of limiting the supply of digital items, often achieved through blockchain technology and NFTs. This concept has revolutionized digital art by allowing for verifiable uniqueness and ownership of digital creations.

Digital Twin

A digital replica of a living or non-living physical entity. It uses real-world data to create simulations that can predict how a product or process will perform, allowing for optimization and testing in a virtual environment.

Disinformation

False or misleading information deliberately created and spread to deceive people. In the context of AI, there are concerns about the use of advanced language models to generate and propagate disinformation at scale.

Dynamic Pricing in Digital Art

Pricing models for digital artworks that can change based on various factors such as demand, scarcity, or even real-time data feeds. This is made possible by smart contracts and blockchain technology.

Edge Computing

A distributed computing paradigm that brings computation and data storage closer to the sources of data. This can improve response times and save bandwidth, which is particularly useful for IoT devices.

Educational technology

The use of technology, including AI, to enhance learning experiences and improve educational outcomes. This can include personalized learning systems, intelligent tutoring systems, and adaptive assessments.

Ethical AI

The development and use of artificial intelligence in ways that adhere to ethical principles and values such as fairness, transparency, privacy, and accountability. It involves considering the societal impact and moral implications of AI systems.

Explainable AI (XAI)

AI systems designed to be transparent and interpretable, allowing humans to understand how they reach their conclusions. XAI aims to address the "black box" problem of complex AI models.

Fair Use

A doctrine in copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as commentary, criticism, parody, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. In the digital age, fair use debates often center around appropriation art, memes, and AI-generated works.

Federated Learning

A machine learning technique that trains an algorithm across multiple decentralized devices or servers holding local data samples, without exchanging them. This approach helps preserve privacy and enables learning from distributed datasets.

Fine-tuning

The process of taking a pre-trained AI model and further training it on a specific dataset or for a particular task. This allows the model to adapt its general knowledge to perform well on more specialized applications.

Foundation models

Large AI models trained on vast amounts of data that can be adapted for a wide range of tasks. These models, like GPT-3 or BERT, serve as a foundation for many downstream AI applications.

Fractional Ownership

A model where multiple parties can own shares of a single artwork, often facilitated by blockchain technology and tokenization. This allows for increased accessibility to high-value art investments.

Frontier AI

The most advanced AI systems that push the boundaries of what's currently possible in the field. These systems often represent significant leaps in capabilities and can have wide-ranging impacts on society.

Gas Fees

The cost to perform a transaction or execute a contract on the Ethereum blockchain. Gas fees can significantly impact the creation and trading of blockchain-based artworks.

General-purpose AI

AI systems designed to perform a wide range of tasks, as opposed to narrow AI systems that are specialized for specific applications. While not as broad as AGI, general-purpose AI aims to be more flexible and adaptable than traditional narrow AI.

Generative AI

AI systems capable of creating new content, such as images, text, or music. These models learn patterns from existing data and use that knowledge to generate novel outputs.

Generative Art NFTs

Artwork created by autonomous systems, often using algorithms, AI, or other computational methods, which is then minted as an NFT. This combines traditional generative art practices with blockchain technology.

Generative Design

A design method where a program generates a number of outputs that meet certain constraints, allowing designers to choose from a range of computer-generated options. This is used in fields like architecture, product design, and art.

Generative adversarial networks (GANs)

A type of machine learning model where two neural networks compete against each other to improve the quality of generated outputs. GANs are often used in creating realistic images, videos, and other media.

Glitch Art

An aesthetic style characterized by the use of digital or analog errors (glitches) for artistic effect. Glitch artists intentionally corrupt digital data or physically manipulate electronic devices to produce unexpected visual results.

Graphical processing units (GPUs)

Specialized computer chips originally designed for rendering graphics but now widely used in AI and machine learning due to their ability to perform many calculations simultaneously.

Hallucinations

In the context of AI, particularly language models, hallucinations refer to the generation of false or nonsensical information presented as fact. This is a significant challenge in ensuring the reliability of AI-generated content.

Installation Art

An art form where the artist uses the whole space (indoor or outdoor) to create an immersive experience for the viewer. Installations can incorporate various media and often engage multiple senses.

Internet of Things (IoT)

A network of interconnected physical devices embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity, enabling them to collect and exchange data. IoT ranges from smart home devices to industrial sensors.

Interoperability

The ability of different blockchain systems to exchange and make use of information. In the context of digital art and NFTs, interoperability could allow artworks to be easily transferred between different platforms or virtual worlds.

Interpretability

The degree to which an AI system's decision-making process can be understood by humans. Improving interpretability is crucial for building trust in AI systems and ensuring their ethical use.

Large language models (LLM)

AI models trained on vast amounts of text data, capable of understanding and generating human-like text. These models, like GPT-3, have shown remarkable abilities in tasks ranging from translation to creative writing.

Machine learning

A subset of AI that focuses on the development of algorithms that can improve automatically through experience. These systems learn patterns from data without being explicitly programmed for each task.

Metaverse

A collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space. It often incorporates elements of social media, augmented reality, virtual reality, and cryptocurrencies.

Misinformation

False or inaccurate information spread without necessarily intending to deceive. AI systems can sometimes unintentionally propagate misinformation if they're trained on unreliable data sources.

Moral Rights in Digital Art

The rights of artists to protect the integrity of their work and claim authorship, even after selling the work. In the digital realm, moral rights can be complicated by the ease of modifying and redistributing digital content.

Narrow AI

AI systems designed to perform specific tasks within a limited domain. Most current AI applications fall into this category, excelling at particular functions but lacking the breadth of human-like general intelligence.

Natural language processing (NLP)

A branch of AI focused on enabling computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language. NLP is crucial for applications like machine translation, chatbots, and voice assistants.

Net Art

Artwork created for, and existing on, the internet. Net artists use web browsers, code, and networked systems as their medium, often exploring themes of connectivity, virtuality, and digital culture.

New Aesthetics

A term coined by James Bridle to describe the increasing appearance of the visual language of digital technology and the internet in the physical world, and how this affects our perception of the world.

New Media Art

Artworks created with new media technologies, including digital art, computer graphics, computer animation, virtual art, Internet art, interactive art, and video games. It often involves interactivity, networks, and computation.

Non-Fungible Token (NFT)

A unique digital identifier that cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided, recorded in a blockchain to certify authenticity and ownership. NFTs are used to represent items such as photos, videos, audio, and other types of digital files, including digital art.

Online Art Auctions

Digital platforms that allow for the buying and selling of artworks over the internet. These platforms have expanded the reach of art markets globally and have become increasingly sophisticated with real-time bidding and blockchain integration.

Open Access in Art

The practice of making digital reproductions of artworks freely available online, often adopted by museums and galleries. This raises questions about the balance between public access to culture and the economic models of art institutions.

Open-source

Software whose source code is freely available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute. In AI, open-source projects have played a significant role in advancing the field and democratizing access to AI technologies.

Orphan Works

Copyrighted works whose owners are difficult or impossible to identify or contact. The digital age has exacerbated this issue, as vast amounts of online content have unclear ownership status.

Performance Art

An avant-garde art form where the actions of an individual or a group at a particular place and time constitute the artwork. It emphasizes the artist's body, live presence, and interaction with the audience.

Postmodernism

A late 20th-century movement in art, architecture, and criticism that departed from modernist ideals. Postmodern art often combines different artistic styles and media, and questions grand narratives and absolute truths.

Proof of Stake (PoS)

An alternative consensus mechanism to PoW where cryptocurrency owners validate block transactions based on the number of coins they hold. PoS is considered more energy-efficient than PoW.

Proof of Work (PoW)

A consensus mechanism used in blockchain networks where participants solve complex mathematical problems to validate transactions and create new blocks. PoW is energy-intensive and has been criticized for its environmental impact.

Quantum Computing

A type of computing that uses quantum-mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement, to perform operations on data. Quantum computers have the potential to solve certain problems much faster than classical computers.

Recommendation Systems

Algorithms used to suggest relevant items to users based on their past behavior, preferences, or similarities to other users. These are commonly used in e-commerce, streaming services, and social media platforms.

Reinforcement learning

A type of machine learning where an agent learns to make decisions by taking actions in an environment to maximize a reward. This approach is often used in robotics and game-playing AI.

Relational Aesthetics

A term coined by Nicolas Bourriaud to describe art based on or inspired by human relations and their social context. In the digital age, this concept has expanded to include online social interactions and virtual communities.

Responsible AI

The practice of developing and using AI systems in ways that are ethical, transparent, and beneficial to society. This includes considerations of fairness, accountability, and the potential societal impacts of AI technologies.

Right of Publicity

The right of an individual to control the commercial use of their name, image, likeness, or other unequivocal aspects of one's identity. In the digital age, this right intersects with issues of deepfakes and AI-generated content.

Robotics

The interdisciplinary field focused on the design, construction, and use of robots. AI plays a crucial role in modern robotics, enabling machines to perceive their environment, make decisions, and interact with the world.

Semi-supervised learning

A machine learning approach that uses a combination of labeled and unlabeled data for training. This can be particularly useful when obtaining large amounts of labeled data is expensive or time-consuming.

Sentiment Analysis

A technique that uses natural language processing and machine learning to identify and extract subjective information from text data, often used to understand opinions and emotions expressed in social media, customer reviews, etc.

Singularity

In the context of artificial intelligence, the hypothetical future point at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable changes to human civilization.

Smart Contract

A self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement directly written into code. Smart contracts automatically execute actions when predetermined conditions are met, facilitating trusted transactions without intermediaries.

Superintelligence

A hypothetical future AI that surpasses human intelligence across virtually all domains. The concept of superintelligence raises both excitement about potential benefits and concerns about existential risks.

Supervised learning

A type of machine learning where the algorithm is trained on a labeled dataset, learning to map inputs to known outputs. This is commonly used for tasks like classification and regression.

Technoethics

The interdisciplinary study of technological impacts on moral, legal, and social systems, and the development of ethical frameworks to guide technological advancement and application.

Token Standard

A set of rules for implementing tokens on a blockchain. For example, ERC-721 is a standard for non-fungible tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, widely used for digital art NFTs.

Tokenization

The process of converting rights to an asset into a digital token on a blockchain. In the art world, this allows for fractional ownership of artworks and new models of art investment and collection.

Training datasets

Collections of data used to teach machine learning models. The quality, diversity, and size of these datasets significantly impact the performance and potential biases of the resulting AI systems.

Transfer Learning

A machine learning method where a model developed for one task is reused as the starting point for a model on a second task. This approach can save time and improve performance, especially when data for the second task is limited.

Transformers

A type of neural network architecture that has become dominant in natural language processing tasks. Transformers use a mechanism called "attention" to process input data, allowing them to handle long-range dependencies in sequences effectively.

Transhumanism

A philosophical and cultural movement that seeks to enhance the human condition through advanced technologies. Transhumanists advocate for the use of emerging technologies to augment human physical and cognitive capacities.

Unsupervised learning

A type of machine learning where the algorithm tries to find patterns or structure in unlabeled data. This can be used for tasks like clustering, anomaly detection, and dimensionality reduction.

Virtual Art Fairs

Online events that replicate the experience of traditional art fairs in a digital space. These became particularly prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to offer global accessibility to art markets.

Virtual Reality (VR)

An immersive technology that creates a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment. Users can interact with this virtual world in a seemingly real way, often using special headsets and controllers.

Wallet (Crypto Wallet)

A digital wallet that allows users to store, send, and receive cryptocurrencies. In the context of digital art, wallets are often used to store and manage NFTs.

Wearable Technology

Electronic devices that can be worn on the body, often as accessories. These devices, like smartwatches or fitness trackers, can collect data, track activities, and provide interactive experiences.

Web3

A concept for a new iteration of the World Wide Web based on blockchain technology, incorporating concepts such as decentralization and token-based economics. Web3 aims to create a more user-centric and decentralized internet.