Computer Graphics: How It's Going

Computer Graphics: How It’s Going

Due: Mar 13, 2026

Overview

Most of the graphics class covers “core graphics” topics such as rendering and animation. While still relevant today, the active research in the field is focused on emerging areas that we will not cover in depth. In this group assignment, you will research these areas and prepare to discuss them during class.

I have identified the following four broad topic areas and randomly assigned you to a group. Group assignments can be found here.

AI-generated/AI-assisted art, such as that created by generative neural networks via Stable Diffusion, and other algorithms for automated image synthesis.
Video synthesis, manipulation (“deep fakes”), and editing algorithms, including generative models like Sora and Runway, and related re-rendering techniques based on 3D Gaussian splatting or neural radiance fields.
“The Metaverse,” 3D multi-user virtual worlds in general, smart glasses, and other applications of augmented or virtual reality.
Algorithms for democratizing design and manufacturing, including 3D and 4D-printing, knitting and weaving, architecture, fashion (“virtual try-on”), and related applications.

These topics are intended as a starting point for your group’s discussions. Feel free to interpret these topics broadly, though do try to avoid duplicating topics that are a better fit for one of the other groups. You are also welcome to focus on a specific aspect of the topic area that most interests you: you do not have to cover everything.

Group Organization

I leave the management of your group up to you. Since each group has about five students, you will want to parallelize and distribute the work of researching your topic and preparing your written report (see below). My recommendation is that you schedule a group meeting early to brainstorm and plan how you will complete this project and how to delegate tasks. You might also want to create a Box for storing copies of sources that you’ve found, and I will create a Discord channel for you to communicate asynchronously with each other.

Written Report

Please prepare a written report (as a group) covering each of the facets of analysis described below. I am imposing a limit of a maximum of one page per facet (so: five pages total for the whole report). The specific questions listed below are only suggestions; you don’t have to answer them all if you have nothing to say. The page limit is a maximum only: you will not be penalized for being concise so long as you thoroughly and thoughtfully cover each facet.

You should include a bibliography, and may also include figures, as extra pages that do not count against the page limit. All sources are permitted (including Wikipedia, Twitter threads, YouTube videos, etc.) but you should take into account the authority and credibility of all sources during your research. I expect that a thorough exploration of your topic area will need to include at least a few academic research papers.

Context: what is the history of these ideas and technologies? What previous work does it build on and what has been the impact and influence of that work? Why is your topic a focus of attention today? Have there been scientific breakthroughs or inventions that made the topic suddenly relevant? Social, economic, or political changes?
State of the Art: what is currently possible and what are people working on? What grand challenges have recently been solved and what grand challenges remain? How are people trying to solve them? Are the main barriers theoretical? Or practical (scaling up proofs of concept; deploying to a large audience; etc)? Or social?
Applications and Positive Impacts: how will this technology benefit society, in the short- and long-term? In what ways will it improve our daily lives? Disrupt existing industries? Enable new products or inventions? What other areas of science and computer science stand to benefit from advances in your topic area?
Negative Impacts: are there dangers or harms associated with the technology? What are the implications of the technology in terms of today’s societal issues, such as climate and the environment; racial, gender, and wealth inequality; and physical and mental health and social wellbeing? How can the technology cause harm, both when intentionally abused, and as a side-effect of intended use? Are there disparities in who will benefit from the technology? Might it perpetuate or deepen existing inequalities? What are the public policy implications of the technology? Are any harms already evident today?
Analysis: Where the above sections report facts, in this section you should speculate freely and offer your opinions. Do you feel like your topic area is overhyped or underhyped? Are important potential impacts and applications flying under the radar? Are potential harms being neglected, and if so, what measures do you recommend for mitigating them? If you had the power to influence the field’s direction (as a government grant administrator, venture capitalist, or big tech CTO, for instance) which aspects of your topic area would you encourage and which would you discourage?

Class Discussion

I will lead a discussion of the above topic areas on March 24th and 26th. Each topic will be allotted half of a class period. I will cold-call members of each group to share their group’s take on their assigned topic areas: please make sure all team members are up to speed on all five aspects above of your report.

Collaboration Report

I expect all team members to contribute roughly equal effort. As for all other projects in this course, you will need to submit a collaboration report (separate from the group written report) explaining your role on the team and how much you felt you contributed relative to your teammates. (You do not need to evaluate every other teammate’s contributions in detail).

Grading

Your group will be assigned a holistic grade based on your class participation and written report. Except as adjusted in response to the information in your collaboration reports, all team members will receive the same grade. I will evaluate your work based on the following rubric:

A: The research delves deeply into the assigned topic area, and covers not only the obvious ongoing research, applications, and implications, but unearths lesser-known projects currently flying under the radar, and draws surprising connections to applications within and without computer science. The written report is polished and professional, and covers each of the five facets described above thoroughly, thoughfully, and with nuance, with well-structured arguments substantiated using facts drawn from the research materials.
B: Although missing the depth or thoroughness of A work described above, the written report is nevertheless a compelling explorations of the assigned topic area’s “big picture,” and make it clear that the group has done thorough and thoughful research.
C: Superficial research that does not extend much farther than what one would learn from a single popular science or Wikipedia article. The written report is sloppy, poorly-written, incoherent, or asserts claims unsubstantiated by any sources. Team members are unprepared to discuss their assigned topic in class.
F: The written report is substanceless filler, “AI slop” containing hallucinated facts or citations, or shows other signs of very low effort. Team members contribute little meaningful information to the class discussion.