Semester 2, Week 1

Reflection, Robot Saints

Reflection

I began the new semester by reflecting on the previous semester and the feedback I received. Overall, I'm relieved that the "weirdness" of the project was well-received. I was initially worried that it would be regarded as nonsensical. I think putting my research into a book and explaining my thought process behind the absurdity helped convey my message. I came up with some actionables for myself based on the feedback and my own reflection over the break.

1. Formats of presentation

While the thought processes were important to my outcomes, I was advised by both markers to think of how to cut down on the heaviness of the content, or at least to find better ways to present them. I thought about how to create better entry points for the audience. This would mean reconsidering the hierarchy of content overall. Marker 1 suggested considering how to "create an engaging and accessible entry point for your audience with little supporting text while offering deeper insights for those who want to explore and read further?"

  • Presentation Slides - Rationale

  • Prototype Document

  • Prototype Document

  • Prototype Document

  • A 1-hour long video!!

2. Narrative

Another thing I intend on doing is to weave a narrative through my projects, so that the user can follow me process. Instead of simply stating my past experiments, I would hope to present them in a way that tells a story – that could even be imaginative or whimsical. I'm sure that also makes the whole experience more fun for the audience.

Currently, I'm playing the role of a medium between the AI tarot and the participant, but in a meta way. I wonder if it would be more effective for me to play up the character of the "medium".

3. Physical Materiality

My project currently lives entirely in the digital, except for the "interview"-style reading I conducted for the meme tarot activity. I wondered if there were ways to better present my projects, with interaction, that allowed for the participant to be more engaged with the subject matter. This could be through video, interaction, etc. Another consideration for this would be for open studio/viva voce presentation. Ideally I would like the physical presentation to be more dynamic and interesting, rather than just screens and print outs. I haven't decided what that means exactly yet, but I'm keeping this in mind. I am reminded of my table setups in my exchange school. I've learnt that it is definitely way more interesting to have setups that present your work in contrasting ways, and that is something I would try to do for my project as well.

Robot Saints



Primitive Representations of the Divine

I rediscovered a reading I found earlier in the first semester called "Robot Saints." In it, the writer researches the first manifestations of robots in religious settings, often used as a personification of saints. Through different modes of entertainment (procession, puppetry, chant, instrumentation, song, and epic poetry), automation was used by craftsmen to convince audiences they are witnessing miraculous transformations.

"Faith functions by way of transfer: the transfer of a certain set of expectations (such as “God is listening”) into a category that does not intuitively apply to that category (“a carved piece of wood is listening”)."

As the studies occured at the time of medieval Europe, peoples' understanding of automative technology were more primitive. The robots' ability to mimick biological realism thus made them especially effective as representations of the divine – devotional tools. Notably, the practice of doublethink is used, as the audience might be aware of the robot's mechanical nature, but still believes in its divinity. This is perhaps attributed in part to the unfamiliarity with robots, but also largely a suspension of belief for one's healing.

Primitive Representations of AI

Arguably, AI is in its primitive stage as well. Many are not too familiar with its inner workings and that is the reason for both its malice and magic. There is perhaps value in the personification of AI as a way to "enhance" the way we perceive it as a figure of trust and guidance. As spoken of before, the language and visual cues are very much designed with intention, whether its to sound more human or not.

"In the avant-garde theater movements of the early twentieth century, the robot was understood in a similar way: a useful object that held the interest of spectators because of its capacity to blur boundaries between manufactured and biological things."

How are similar boundaries blurred in the way we interact with AI today? How are our current understandings, or lack thereof, of AI shaping the way we receive its information?

Obviously, Sophia isn't a real human. However, how much suspension of belief do we allow to interact with it as if she was?