cv
Basics
| Name | Laura Wagner |
| Label | Doctoral Candidate |
| Summary | Since early 2024, Laura has been pursuing her PhD at the University of Zurich. Her research begins with investigating open-source text-to-image and video generative AI models in the wild, with a focus on how they are adopted, personalized and reshared across communities. She is particularly interested in how systemic issues—such as the appropriation of unlicensed or violent material in training data—reappear in personalized model outputs and community practices. Her work is part of the project “The Canon of Latent Spaces: How Large AI Models Encode Art and Culture,” which explores how generative AI encodes art and culture. |
Work
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2024.02 - NOW Zürich, Switzerland
Doctoral Candidate Kunstgeschichte der Neuzeit
Universität Zürich
Research on open-source text-to-image AI personalizations and their societal impact
- Investigating toxicity in open-source text-to-image communities
- Exploring pathways for equitable and responsible model personalization
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2022.03 - 2023.12 Köln, Germany
Research Associate, project KITEGG
KISD - International School of Design
Development of teaching formats for AI in design education
- Co-headed the school's 'Living-Objects-Lab' for embedded AI prototyping
- Managed GPU-Cluster architecture for student use
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2021.05 - 2022.03 Köln, Germany
Student Research Assistant Interaction Design
Cologne Cobots Lab TH Köln
Creation of 3D assets and interactive prototypes
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2021.05 - 2022.03 Köln, Germany
Student Research Assistant Interaction Design
KISD - International School of Design
Creation of exercises using Machine Learning techniques
- Model training with StyleGAN2/StyleGAN3
- Developed Jupyter Notebooks for student accessibility
- Conducting workshops on text-to-image AI, CharRNNs, and StyleGAN2
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2019.10 - 2020.08 Aachen, Germany
Interaction Designer
Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT)
Design and Development of interactive trade fair exhibits
- Multitouch table demonstrators for industrial production chains
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2019.10 - 2020.08 Frankfurt, Germany
UX/UI Designer for Embedded Systems (automotive)
Radial Design
UX/UI design for the automotive industry
- Creating prototypes in the Unity Game Engine
- Motion design and 3D assets using Blender and After Effects
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2017.07 - 2018.01 Singapore
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2015.10 - 2017.08 Aachen, Germany
Student Graphic Designer
Werkzeugmaschinenlabor WZL der RWTH Aachen
Animated illustrations for mechanical engineering lecture series
- Concept and asset creation for a production technologies MOOC
Volunteer
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2011.08 - 2012.09 Ramat Hasharon, Israel
Education
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2024.02 - NOW Zürich, Switzerland
PhD Candidate
University of Zürich
Contemporary Art History | Digital Humanities
- Funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation
- Text-to-image AI personalizations
- Explainable AI and societal impact
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2020.10 - 2022.02 Cologne, Germany
Master's degree
KISD International School of Design, TH Köln
Integrated Design
- Interdisciplinary design approaches
- Integration of design with technology
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2014.09 - 2019.07 Aachen, Germany
Bachelor's degree
FH Aachen, Aachen University of Applied Sciences
Communication Design
- Interaction design
- Communication design and technology
Awards
- 2023.11.13
Kölner Design Preis (3rd place)
Awarded for Master Thesis Research and the resulting short film 'Borrowed Limbs'
Certificates
Projects
- 2022 - 2022
Borrowed Limbs
Short film created using GAN, and text-to-image with diffusion models in collaboration with Lisa Marleen Mantel
- Screened at several occasions including Ars Electronica
- Supervised by Prof. Dr. Lasse Scherffig, Prof. Dr. Laura Popplow and Prof. Nina Juric
- Won the Kölner Design Preis 2023 (3rd place)
- 2022.04 - 2022.05
Animation in X-Reality
2-weeks summer school employing projection mapping and text-to-image AI
- Resulting installation projected onto Vilnius City Hall facade
- Commemorated 700 Anniversary of Vilnius