Aaron Hertzmann
@aaronhertzmann.com
www.dgp.toronto.edu/~hertzman
Pinned
Aaron Hertzmann
@aaronhertzmann.com
· Aug 19
SIGGRAPH 2024 Award Talk: My journey in art and computing (so far)
YouTube video by Aaron Hertzmann
www.youtube.com
Here's my the talk for the #SIGGRAPH 2024 Computer Graphics Achievement award, about my experiences in painting, computer graphics and the science of art. And how so much art and research are unplanned and unpredictable.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehgj...
aaronhertzmann.com/2024/08/19/j...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehgj...
aaronhertzmann.com/2024/08/19/j...
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
This is the best parody of the AGI2027 report to date. Unintentionally from the Dallas Fed
AI could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points
November 7, 2025 at 3:03 PM
This is the best parody of the AGI2027 report to date. Unintentionally from the Dallas Fed
In vision science/psychology, I've often gotten adversarial paper reviews that do not seem to engage with the core argument of the paper, but instead list many perceived flaws. As I am new to the field, I thought maybe the culture is to only list flaws, and then accept when flaws are fixed. 1/
November 1, 2025 at 8:01 PM
In vision science/psychology, I've often gotten adversarial paper reviews that do not seem to engage with the core argument of the paper, but instead list many perceived flaws. As I am new to the field, I thought maybe the culture is to only list flaws, and then accept when flaws are fixed. 1/
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
Wednesday, November 5th at 11 AM CT: TTIC's Distinguished Lecture Series presents Aaron Hertzmann of Adobe Research with a talk titled "Can Computers Create Art?" Please join us in Room 530, 5th floor.
October 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Wednesday, November 5th at 11 AM CT: TTIC's Distinguished Lecture Series presents Aaron Hertzmann of Adobe Research with a talk titled "Can Computers Create Art?" Please join us in Room 530, 5th floor.
Thanks for the kind words!
The talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YR...
The talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YR...
enjoyed this talk very much — thank you; especially found understanding art as a social exchange meaningful… and the examples and illustrations are super inspiring :)
October 27, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Thanks for the kind words!
The talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YR...
The talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YR...
Here's a recording of my talk on the role of computers in making art, including so-called "AI", which was presented as the opening keynote of SIGGRAPH 2025, incorporating lessons from the history of computer graphics, photography, modern art, and philosophy of art. www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YR... 1/
Can Computers Create Art? Lessons from art history
YouTube video by Aaron Hertzmann
www.youtube.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Here's a recording of my talk on the role of computers in making art, including so-called "AI", which was presented as the opening keynote of SIGGRAPH 2025, incorporating lessons from the history of computer graphics, photography, modern art, and philosophy of art. www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YR... 1/
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
All reports in this thread are from the collections of Northwestern University's Transportation Library. Materials we've digitized can generally be found in HathiTrust. Learn more and search our catalog here: www.library.northwestern.edu/libraries-co...
January 29, 2024 at 4:12 PM
All reports in this thread are from the collections of Northwestern University's Transportation Library. Materials we've digitized can generally be found in HathiTrust. Learn more and search our catalog here: www.library.northwestern.edu/libraries-co...
Fascinating paper argues that (roughly) consciousness theories are untestable and unverifiable, and so instead they are selected to fit our moral preferences and preconceptions.
Consciousness science as a marketplace of rationalizations
my commentary on @smfleming.bsky.social and @matthiasmichel.bsky.social's thought-provoking BBS paper, and more generally about the field.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
my commentary on @smfleming.bsky.social and @matthiasmichel.bsky.social's thought-provoking BBS paper, and more generally about the field.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
October 10, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Fascinating paper argues that (roughly) consciousness theories are untestable and unverifiable, and so instead they are selected to fit our moral preferences and preconceptions.
New blog post: In 1909, the famous composer John Philip Sousa wrote that recorded music would lead to a deterioration of music and musical taste. The more I thought about it, the more I think that he had a point.
aaronhertzmann.com/2025/09/30/m...
aaronhertzmann.com/2025/09/30/m...
The Menace of Mechanical Music: Was John Philip Sousa right?
In 1877, Edison introduced the phonograph cylinders, the first musical recording media. For the first time in history, you could listen to music without being in the same room as a performing musician...
aaronhertzmann.com
October 1, 2025 at 2:10 PM
New blog post: In 1909, the famous composer John Philip Sousa wrote that recorded music would lead to a deterioration of music and musical taste. The more I thought about it, the more I think that he had a point.
aaronhertzmann.com/2025/09/30/m...
aaronhertzmann.com/2025/09/30/m...
Here's a recording of my talk on how perspective works! If you're interested in learning about how picture perspective works in human vision, this is the video to watch. #visionscience
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eamc...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eamc...
Picture Perspective and Our Eyes
YouTube video by Aaron Hertzmann
www.youtube.com
September 29, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Here's a recording of my talk on how perspective works! If you're interested in learning about how picture perspective works in human vision, this is the video to watch. #visionscience
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eamc...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eamc...
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
Great to present my work "Five Illusions Challenge Our Understanding of Visual Experience" at the European Conference on Visual Perception (#ECVP2025)
Project Website + Preprint in link below 👇
@ecvp.bsky.social @italianacademy.bsky.social @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
Project Website + Preprint in link below 👇
@ecvp.bsky.social @italianacademy.bsky.social @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
Paul Linton, ECVP 2025: "Five Illusions Challenge Our Understanding of Visual Experience"
YouTube video by Kriegeskorte Lab
www.youtube.com
September 24, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Great to present my work "Five Illusions Challenge Our Understanding of Visual Experience" at the European Conference on Visual Perception (#ECVP2025)
Project Website + Preprint in link below 👇
@ecvp.bsky.social @italianacademy.bsky.social @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
Project Website + Preprint in link below 👇
@ecvp.bsky.social @italianacademy.bsky.social @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
Here is my commentary on @ruthrosenholtz.bsky.social's BBS paper. I point out deep parallels between topics in 2D and 3D human vision that are usually studied separately: summary statistics and attention in 2D, and 3D vision. This suggests studying them together. psyarxiv.com/dz3rx_v2
OSF
psyarxiv.com
September 26, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Here is my commentary on @ruthrosenholtz.bsky.social's BBS paper. I point out deep parallels between topics in 2D and 3D human vision that are usually studied separately: summary statistics and attention in 2D, and 3D vision. This suggests studying them together. psyarxiv.com/dz3rx_v2
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
me: maybe i can gain clarity by going over my notes
my notes:
my notes:
September 25, 2025 at 9:33 AM
me: maybe i can gain clarity by going over my notes
my notes:
my notes:
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
Our cognitive maps of the environment contain hierarchical structure, with some spaces nested in others.
Behavioral responses and brain activity in scene-responsive regions reflect this hierarchical structure.
Neat new work by Michael Peer & @russellepstein.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/cerc...
Behavioral responses and brain activity in scene-responsive regions reflect this hierarchical structure.
Neat new work by Michael Peer & @russellepstein.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/cerc...
September 22, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Our cognitive maps of the environment contain hierarchical structure, with some spaces nested in others.
Behavioral responses and brain activity in scene-responsive regions reflect this hierarchical structure.
Neat new work by Michael Peer & @russellepstein.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/cerc...
Behavioral responses and brain activity in scene-responsive regions reflect this hierarchical structure.
Neat new work by Michael Peer & @russellepstein.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/cerc...
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
Here's a list of some of the non-fiction books that profoundly affected my thinking at one time or another.
aaronhertzmann.com/2025/09/15/b...
aaronhertzmann.com/2025/09/15/b...
Books That Changed The Way I See The World
Ever since I read Guns, Germs, and Steel, and then more books like it, I started a mental category of “books that changed the way I see the world.” These books have a few things in common: they are no...
aaronhertzmann.com
September 15, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Here's a list of some of the non-fiction books that profoundly affected my thinking at one time or another.
aaronhertzmann.com/2025/09/15/b...
aaronhertzmann.com/2025/09/15/b...
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
I'm always invoking conceptualism when people decry the loss of the human in art-making. Dematerialization of the art object, procedural art, &c. We're re-litigating aesthetic practices revolutionized decades ago
The concept of "slop" is going to fit neatly into the space that "mass culture" occupied in 20c theory. It expresses a fear that culture has become liquid, abject, homogenous, replicating and spreading itself like a slime mold.
July 26, 2025 at 11:22 PM
I'm always invoking conceptualism when people decry the loss of the human in art-making. Dematerialization of the art object, procedural art, &c. We're re-litigating aesthetic practices revolutionized decades ago
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
incredible Ada Lovelace quote highlighted in a talk by Steve Furber. She spells out the dream of computational neuroscience, 2 centuries ago. The sheer ambition 🤩
August 29, 2025 at 9:21 AM
incredible Ada Lovelace quote highlighted in a talk by Steve Furber. She spells out the dream of computational neuroscience, 2 centuries ago. The sheer ambition 🤩
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
I wrote about the tragic death of Adam Raine and the venal negligence of "AI Safety." www.argmin.net/p/the-banal-...
The Banal Evil of AI Safety
Chatbot companies are harmful and dishonest. How can we hold them accountable?
www.argmin.net
August 28, 2025 at 2:30 PM
I wrote about the tragic death of Adam Raine and the venal negligence of "AI Safety." www.argmin.net/p/the-banal-...
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
Aaron Hertzmann giving an inspiring keynote address to kick off the Visual Science of Art Conference in Wiesbaden:
#VSAC
@vsac-social.bsky.social
#VSAC
@vsac-social.bsky.social
August 21, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Aaron Hertzmann giving an inspiring keynote address to kick off the Visual Science of Art Conference in Wiesbaden:
#VSAC
@vsac-social.bsky.social
#VSAC
@vsac-social.bsky.social
Looking forward to our workshop on Sunday!
I'm very excited to announce our #SIGGRAPH2025 workshop:
Drawing & Sketching: Art, Psychology, and Computer Graphics 🎨🧠🫖
🔗 lines-and-minds.github.io
📅 Sunday, August 10th
Join us to explore how people draw, how machines draw, and how the two might draw together! 🤖✍️
Drawing & Sketching: Art, Psychology, and Computer Graphics 🎨🧠🫖
🔗 lines-and-minds.github.io
📅 Sunday, August 10th
Join us to explore how people draw, how machines draw, and how the two might draw together! 🤖✍️
August 7, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Looking forward to our workshop on Sunday!
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
Not picking on this person, I think i see this kind of claim often. But like railways were absolutely a massive hype bubble. People were saying there was going to be polar loops, rail links across the bearing strait, 24-hour transcontinental, saying every rail town would be 100k big.
At least railways did what they claimed.
August 5, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Not picking on this person, I think i see this kind of claim often. But like railways were absolutely a massive hype bubble. People were saying there was going to be polar loops, rail links across the bearing strait, 24-hour transcontinental, saying every rail town would be 100k big.
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
Did Philomena Cunk write this
This is an insane thing to write about game development. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/a...
July 29, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Did Philomena Cunk write this
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
I'm very excited to announce our #SIGGRAPH2025 workshop:
Drawing & Sketching: Art, Psychology, and Computer Graphics 🎨🧠🫖
🔗 lines-and-minds.github.io
📅 Sunday, August 10th
Join us to explore how people draw, how machines draw, and how the two might draw together! 🤖✍️
Drawing & Sketching: Art, Psychology, and Computer Graphics 🎨🧠🫖
🔗 lines-and-minds.github.io
📅 Sunday, August 10th
Join us to explore how people draw, how machines draw, and how the two might draw together! 🤖✍️
July 22, 2025 at 4:46 PM
I'm very excited to announce our #SIGGRAPH2025 workshop:
Drawing & Sketching: Art, Psychology, and Computer Graphics 🎨🧠🫖
🔗 lines-and-minds.github.io
📅 Sunday, August 10th
Join us to explore how people draw, how machines draw, and how the two might draw together! 🤖✍️
Drawing & Sketching: Art, Psychology, and Computer Graphics 🎨🧠🫖
🔗 lines-and-minds.github.io
📅 Sunday, August 10th
Join us to explore how people draw, how machines draw, and how the two might draw together! 🤖✍️
Reposted by Aaron Hertzmann
Using time series graphs to make causal claims be like
July 14, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Using time series graphs to make causal claims be like
Science fiction often probes the human condition by imagining human-like AI. Almost all science fiction AIs are “human, but slightly different.” Popular culture AIs paved the way for AI hype by making it very easy—natural, even—to imagine human-like machine people.
Science fiction about AI feels to me increasingly like a subgenre of horror about slavery. (Hunted replicants, servile droids, governor modules, &c.) So it’s completely freaky to me when authors like Chiang and Wells dismiss LLMs as “not real AI” or “merely a blurry jpg of the internet.” +
July 12, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Science fiction often probes the human condition by imagining human-like AI. Almost all science fiction AIs are “human, but slightly different.” Popular culture AIs paved the way for AI hype by making it very easy—natural, even—to imagine human-like machine people.