Arts Media & Technology students at Texas Tech are combining creative practice with digital tools while engaging in a broader interdisciplinary ecosystem of study
Creative work often benefits from multiple categories. Frequently, it moves between
specialties, platforms, and audiences, blending disciplines, technology, and storytelling
in ways that continue to evolve.
At Texas Tech, some of that work is taking shape through the Arts Media & Technology
(AMT) degree within the Department of Interdisciplinary Arts (DIA). As the department’s
primary undergraduate pathway, AMT brings together creative practice and digital tools,
giving students the opportunity to explore disciplines through the combination of
three minors.
AMT exists within a broader undergraduate ecosystem. Minors and certificate programs
in DIA allow students from across the university to engage with creative work in flexible
ways, whether complementing a major in another field or expanding an existing artistic
practice.
Together, these offerings create an environment where collaboration is not only possible,
but expected. Students frequently work across disciplines, combining perspectives
and skill sets to develop projects that reflect the realities of contemporary creative
work.
Much of that work is hands-on. From producing digital media to contributing to collaborative projects, students are actively engaging in processes that mirror professional practice. Faculty guide that exploration by encouraging experimentation and adaptability, helping students connect creative ideas with practical application.
As artistic disciplines continue to evolve alongside new technologies, the ability to work across mediums is becoming increasingly important. Through AMT and its related programs, students are not only developing those skills, they are already putting them into practice.
Pictured: "The Moment Between" by Dillon Butler & Chat GPT, Digital Image, 2026. Created through a collaborative process using ChatGPT and Claude, this project explores the relationship between a scientist and an AI system, examining themes of connection, absence, and what it means to recognize oneself in another, human or machine.
Exploring AI in Creative Practice
As artificial intelligence continues to shape creative industries, students in AMT are beginning to explore what it means to work alongside these tools, not just as users, but as collaborators.
In IVPA 2310, a course developed with support from Dr. Sarai Brinker that explores the social and scientific implications of AI in the arts, students are experimenting with platforms like ChatGPT and Claude to develop ideas, generate images, build soundscapes, and construct interactive narratives. Rather than relying on AI for finished outputs, students are engaging in an iterative process, guiding, refining, and responding to what these systems produce.
“Students are learning to use these tools fluently while also pushing back against them critically,” explained course instructor Vaughan Hennen. “The goal is for them to enter creative fields with both technical confidence and a strong sense of ethical responsibility.”
Projects emerging from the course reflect a wide range of approaches. Some students
are creating interactive, AI-assisted stories, while others are using these tools
as a way to learn new skills, experimenting with AI as a kind of instructor for drawing
or music composition. In one project, a student combined multiple AI platforms to
generate lyrics, compose music, and record original material, exploring the possibilities
of co-creation across systems.
Throughout the semester, students have also engaged with larger questions surrounding
authorship and creativity, prompted in part by guest speakers Laura McCord and Aimee
Valentine, who are each incorporating AI into their interdisciplinary Fine Arts Doctoral
research at Texas Tech.
As their comfort with AI has grown, so has their willingness to experiment, a result of the course’s emphasis on creative research. With space to explore, reflect, and refine their processes, students have developed increasingly thoughtful and innovative final projects.
"I didn't just build a video game—I co-created one with two AIs… it changed how I see creative work.” - Campbell Greenless, Arts Media & Technology student
The Scramble: Co-Creating With AI
Developed in IVPA 2310, AMT student Campbell Greenless’s project The Scramble explores what happens when artificial intelligence becomes an active participant in the creative process. Developed in collaboration with two AI systems, each with its own voice and narrative role, the project unfolds as an interactive experience shaped in real time.
Rather than using AI as a tool for generating content, Greenless approached it as a collaborator. The two systems, referred to as DRIFT and CIPHER, guide the narrative in different ways, creating a dynamic tension between emotional interpretation and analytical logic.
The result is a project that reflects a broader shift in how students are engaging with emerging technologies, not just to produce work, but to rethink authorship, control, and creative partnership.
Pictured: "The Scramble" by Campbell Greenless. An interactive project developed in collaboration with AI systems Chat GPT (CIPHER) and Claude (DRIFTT, exploring narrative, authorship, and real-time creative decision-making.