Lorelei Silbernagel, ’27
Major: Art with 3-Dimensional Forum concentration and comparative history of ideas
Project title: “Time and Place: Multimedia Series on the Use of AI in Exchange for Human Connection”
Lorelei Silbernagel wanted to get into making digital art but found that so much of it bordered on the edge of artificial intelligence.
She started to think more deeply about using AI for art and the type of human connection that gets lost when only interacting with artificially created computer-made media. Silbernagel decided to use her research project as an opportunity to explore these themes more deeply.
“It’s important to understand and distinguish the difference and recognize that art and AI can both replicate each other,” Silbernagel said.
Her project consisted of three pieces in different mediums.
The first was a physical replica of a Kids Cuisine frozen meal using plaster, glass powder and paint to show that some things don’t stay the same forever.
The second was a physical replica of what AI art looked like when it was first created, featuring a blurry airbrushed portrait on an easel. In this piece Silbernagel wanted to show what it looks like for physical media to copy digital media.
The final piece was created entirely digitally. Silbernagel made a digital gallery wall using a digital-creation software called Blender. She then added in AI-generated images of cats to poke fun at AI, she said.
“I hope that people think more about the legality of purchasing AI art,” Silbernagel said. “If they have AI art in their home, I hope they think about how maybe they could’ve gotten it from a different source.”
Being a part of the Symposium wasn’t something she thought she could participate in as an art student, Silbernagel said, but it has become a really important part of her undergraduate experience.
“Before entering into the Symposium, I had no idea that art could be considered research, that I could present a project like this,” Silbernagel said. “It’s really interesting.”
About the Symposium
This undergraduate research project was presented in the 29th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium on May 15, 2026. The Symposium is one of several opportunities UW undergraduates have to engage in the transformative experiences research provides. It’s produced by the Office of Undergraduate Research and is one of the many ways the Office connects undergraduates to the UW’s research ecosystem.
Read the overview of the 2026 Symposium here.