We are living through an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is surfacing in all aspects of people’s lives. These systems are presented as all-knowing and far too complex for the average person to understand. Learning to Parrot is a two-hour workshop that stages a hands-on encounter with the assumptions underlying chatbot technologies such as ChatGPT. The aim is to demystify them and create a space for reflecting on the implications of their use. The title is a reference to the term 'Stochastic Parrot' and the work of Dr. Emily M. Bender.
Practical Details:
Participants will need to bring a laptop that can connect to the internet and be familiar with using it. The workshop will last about two hours. The workshop will take place from 11am to 1pm. Participation is free and booking is required.
About Dennis McNulty
Dennis McNulty is an artist, researcher, music-maker, and instrument designer whose work grapples with know-ability and is often framed with respect to technologies such as language, diagrams, or buildings. Learning to Parrot was developed in his role as a research assistant in Prof. Dan Kilper’s group at CONNECT based in Trinity College Dublin, where he explores the role of diagrams in cross-disciplinary collaboration, particularly in quantum networking research.
His artwork has been presented at the São Paulo Bienal, Liverpool Biennial, Performa Biennial, IMMA, Visual, The Dock, and Grazer Kunstverein among others. McNulty is currently working on a collaborative Fingal County Council commission to mark Ireland’s EU presidency in 2026.