AI and Neuroscience to Become Dance Partners for Georgia Tech Arts Event

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:30:55 +0000

AI and Neuroscience to Become Dance Partners for Georgia Tech Arts Event admin Wed, 06/04/2025 - 12:30

An unlikely combination will take center stage on campus this Friday, October 1. With assistance from College of Engineering researchers, Georgia Tech Arts and Terminus Ballet Theatre (TMBT) will mix dance with the fields of neuroscience, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) to create a unique performance. TMBT dancers will perform excerpts of InterActions | Boundaries of Sensory Experience, a work-in-progress that is a physical embodiment of neuroscience and an exploration of the ethics and mechanics of how it’s used in AI technologies.

Georgia Tech researchers have been meeting with the choreographer, Troy Schumacher, and the ballet company for the last year and a half to shape the concept, which explores ideas at the forefront of mechanical interventions into the human body and mind.

“I think the arts can be a really powerful way to bring people from all backgrounds into a conversation about science and technology,” said Chris Rozell, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering who has worked on the project since its genesis. “My goal is to facilitate that conversation by helping to translate between the scientists doing amazing work and the artists who are approaching these ideas from the perspective of making something beautiful.”

Georgia Tech Arts and TMBT have dubbed the project the “Grand Neuroethics Challenge.”

“A lot of the concepts, technologies, research, and ethics we've been discussing in this work are extremely complicated, but what's come through for me is that a lot of their work is going to have profound implications for the future of humanity,” said Schumacher. “So, for this ballet, I've decided to focus on the emotional relationship to brain-machine interfaces, while touching on what I've learned so far. I've spent most of my career collaborating with artists with little to no relationship to dance, but nothing quite as complex and fascinating as this.”

Aaron Shackelford, director of Georgia Tech Arts, said the project is a worthwhile endeavor because it offers a case study as to the importance of collaboration between artists and researchers, while demonstrating the importance of the arts in the mission and strategic plan of Georgia Tech.

“We recognize that the arts are critical to championing innovation and creativity at Georgia Tech,” said Shackelford. “Our mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The arts — and artists — provide a vital avenue for pursuing this work. This project illuminates the impact of artists and researchers coming together to mutually inspire and learn from each other, while inviting audiences to participate in the discussions about their discoveries.”

“As a director coming from an arts/dance background and facilitator to this project, I have become fascinated with the work of the scientists during the conceiving/creation process and how this gets interwoven into the choreography and dancers’ bodies,” said John Welker, TMBT’s artistic director. “In any collaboration, there are surprises that are part of my joy for discovery, but this particular process has made me so much more aware and appreciative of the intimate connection between our minds' intention and how that is carried out through the movement of our bodies.”

This Friday will be more than a dance performance. It will also include talks from the researchers involved in the project and opportunities for audience to ask questions. Rozell will discuss his work on AI and its applications in treating depression. Chethan Pandarinath, assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory University and Georgia Tech, will talk about his AI research and how the brain controls movement. They’ll be joined by Karen Rommelfanger, director of Emory’s Neuroethics Program.

Rommelfanger knows the field of neuroscience can introduce complex words and concepts. When mixed with dance, however, she sees the project as a powerful opportunity for audiences to engage with multiple modalities of sensation and comprehension.

“I believe neuroscience brings great hope and promise for humanity. But my fear is that the promise of the field will be undermined by a deterioration of trust related to a real and hyped threats of unconsidered ways neuroscience might interface with individuals and society,” said Rommelfanger.” My hope is that this project will invite audiences, including myself, to challenge and surface our unspoken values and assumptions about the brain and technologies that interface with it.”

Friday’s event starts at 8pm at the Ferst Center for the Arts. Tickets are just $10. The full work, which is made possible in part through a grant from the Charles Loridans Foundation, will premiere on campus next fall.

“I’m excited to see how something as abstract as the concepts in neuroscience, neurotechnology, and neuroethics can be translated into dance,” Rozell said. “As a researcher, we can get really caught up in the technical details. I can’t wait to see how those details turn into an overall impression that is both beautiful and gives us a new way to think about what we do.”

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Dance will mix with the fields of neuroscience, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) to create a unique performance

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Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

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maderer@gatech.edu

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Film Logistics Committee Works to Bring More Film and Photography to Campus

admin — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:26:31 +0000

Film Logistics Committee Works to Bring More Film and Photography to Campus admin Thu, 06/22/2023 - 09:26

And…ACTION! Georgia Tech has left its mark in many movies, documentaries, TV series, and still photography. With the help of the newly developed Film Logistics Committee, there is a greater focus on capturing the beauty and history of the campus in film. The Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being’s Auxiliary Services is proud of its partnership with several representatives to support film projects on campus.

The Film Logistics Committee includes members from Institute Communications, Facilities, Fire Safety, Georgia Tech Police Department, Risk Management, Parking & Transportation Services, Legal, Georgia Tech Athletic Association, and the Student & Campus Events Centers. When filming and photography occur, the Committee works to ensure that the structural integrity of the campus is protected, the Institute’s brand is well-represented, and appropriate logistical support and security is provided. The Committee is also responsible for pre-planning each project, including reviewing license agreements, reserving campus spaces, aligning with the campus calendar, and ensuring all fire safety measures are in place.

The Committee is led by Julie Birchfield, Georgia Tech’s recently appointed assistant director for Film Logistics and Business Development in Auxiliary Services. Julie is no stranger to the task, having worked in commercial film management, developing a diverse portfolio of commercials, TV shows, and major motion pictures.

“It’s an exciting time to work with film and live in Atlanta,” said Julie. “There are so many productions in and around the Atlanta area, and since we have such a beautiful campus, with gorgeous architecture and landscaping, it’s not surprising that the interest from the film community has already been overwhelming.”

“It takes a village to pull off these big projects and the film logistics committee has been great to work with. The team makes it look easy when it’s not entirely easy…but isn’t that part of the movie magic?”

Julie Birchfield manages all aspects of film production on Georgia Tech’s campus from logistical planning to campus communication. Since September 2022, she has managed 12 commercial film/photography projects and six internal projects. So, the next time you walk around and see a camera crew on campus, you will know that Julie and her team are behind the effort!

Under Julie’s leadership, the Film Logistics Committee is committed to opening doors for Georgia Tech to thrive in film and for Georgia Tech to continue its mission to amplify impact beyond our campus. For more information about filming at Georgia Tech and the process for requesting projects, visit www.campusservices.gatech.edu/campus-filming or contact Julie Birchfield at Julie.Birchfield@gatech.edu.

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Georgia Tech introduces new Film Logistics Committee to campus!

Summary

Georgia Tech has left its mark in many movies, documentaries, TV series, and still photography. With the help of the newly developed Film Logistics Committee, there is a greater focus on capturing the beauty and history of the campus in film. The Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being’s Auxiliary Services is proud of its partnership with several representatives to support film projects on campus.

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Wed, 06/21/2023 - 12:00

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Thu, 06/22/2023 - 09:16

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AI and Neuroscience to Become Dance Partners for Georgia Tech Arts Event

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Film Logistics Committee Works to Bring More Film and Photography to Campus

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