Coding with AI — Electronic Literature and Digital Art

by Scott Rettberg, with ChatGPT coding assistance

These are some of a series of experiments in using AI (GPT 3.5) for coding short kinetic poems (primarily in p5.js) and small artworks. I produced about 30 of these experiments in a three-month span from Nov 2022 – Jan 2023. At the time, this was a (comparatively) more grueling process than it is in current generations of generative AI platforms, but it was already apparent to me that AI-assisted coding had the potential to open my field of electronic literature to new approaches and to new kinds of artists, whose training has less to do with coding and more to do with traditional writing and aesthetics.

Standalone Works

Hope is a thing with feathers

Hope is a thing with feathers Nov 2022

ceci n’est pas Dec 2022 ⚠ strobing content

Six Cubes Dec 2022

Black Hole Dec 2022 ⚠ strobing content

Wreathe Dec 2022

Blizzard Dec 2022

New Year's Ball

New Year’s Ball Dec 2022

A Sphere Word Jan 2023

Mondrian Tarot Cards

Mondrian Tarot Cards Jan 2023 ⚠ strobing content

Threes Jan 2023

Traer Jan 2023

Traer (with translation)

Traer (with translation) Jan 2023 Same source as Traer

Doubles Jan 2023

Ultracentrifugou

Ultracentrifugou Jan 2023

Runestones Jan 2023

Tens Jan 2023 Published in Taper #10

Bill of Rights Jan 2023

Sixes Jan 2023

Growth Jan 2023

Murmuration Jan 2023 ⚠ strobing content

Frank Lloyd Wright Series (Jan 2023)

FLW Window in Oak Park

Frank Lloyd Wright Window in Oak Park #1 Jan 2023 click to start

The Mystery and Strange Symmetries of Uncanny Ideas of Architecture Jan 2023 FLW variant — verify match

FLW Tragedy in Wisconsin

On the Tragedy in Wisconsin Jan 2023 FLW variant — verify match

FLW Look at the Trees

Look at the Trees Jan 2023 FLW variant — verify match

The Love Letters Series (Feb 2023)

Published in New River, Spring 2023

Missive Command

Missive Command: Nelson and Simone Feb 2023 click to play

Porng: Henry and Anais

Porng: Henry and Anaïs Feb 2023 move mouse and click to relaunch words

Oscaroids: Oscar to Bosie Feb 2023 arrow keys to rotate, up to move, space to fire

Turing’s Apple Feb 2023 click to move worm

Video Documentation

This video documentation of the project was exhibited at the 2024 More Than Meets AI exhibition in Bergen, Norway.