AI Markus (Austin I. Marcus, b. 1992, London, UK) [they/them] is a non-binary musician, computational artist, machine learning engineer, and perception scientist based in Pittsburgh, PA.

They are a synesthete who experiences the sensory world through immersive multidimensional mental imagery, and who attempts to channel this imagery through sound, manipulated visuals, words, setting, and applied AI. They use induced sensory immersion as a tool for reflection and sublimation, and as a means of expressing identity and queerness in their raw psychological form. Through parallel approaches in art and science, they work toward a future where human is faithfully reflected in machine - where AI can be reclaimed by queerness, quirk, sensory subjectivity, and neurodiversity.

They worked as a lab manager and researcher for the Tarrlab perceptual neuroscience group at Carnegie Mellon, study in the graduate program of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information, and lead the machine learning team at Gather AI.

They have performed their music as Xylantha at Spirit, h0l0, 3577 Studios, and Our Place. They have released music on Co-Dependent (CODE468, 2019), and independently. 
They have an upcoming multimedia release with Encaustic Collective (éphémère, 2021).
They have exhibited installation work for the Hodgepodge series, and for SoundPedro 2019 (San Pedro, CA) in collaboration with Samira Mendoza.
They are a co-founder of the multisensory new media performance collective  P O S T • V I V O alongside Adrienne Cassel and Samira Mendoza.
They have performed on tour with P O S T • V I V O in several galleries and venues across the US, including TCC (Chicago), PS1 (Iowa City),  Thought//Forms (Denver), The Drugstore (Kansas City), the mudlark theater (New Orleans) and Fuse Factory (Columbus).