AAA is a speculative project featuring imaginary robots with whimsical designs exploring notions of ecological situatedness, adaptive responsiveness and multi-species algorithmic existence. Drawing inspiration from Luna, my first robot who was characterized by its adorable and timid nature, the project questions: what does our relationship with machines look like and what can this tell us about ourselves? By tapping into our innate tendency to anthropomorphize, perceive life and consciousness, the project challenges preconceived notions surrounding intelligence and hopes to expose the limitations of current frameworks for human-robot interactions.
With an uncannily playful and light-hearted approach, the project presents vignettes of robots pursuing a career in the arts, each equipped with distinct generative algorithms, mechanical bodily makes, inhabiting unique environments. These intimate character portraits counter prevailing narratives surrounding creativity, robotics and AI, while also aiming to provide a new vocabulary for our encounters with machines.
The research is three-fold:
Robots & Reputations
Robots have a bad rep. They often make the headlines, accompanied by negative sentiments such as dire warnings of impending job displacement, concerns about the erosion of human labor markets, and cautionary tales regarding the potential safety threats posed by autonomous machines. This doomsday thinking is fueled by decades of sci-fi fantasies that pigeonhole our thinking about the myriad ways in which robots could potentially accompany humans. Through new fictions, we can shape new cultural narratives, replacing negative sentiments with those of curious entanglements.
Embodied Intelligence
The body. You may have noticed that none of AAA robots are humanoids. Rather than pursuing human-like intelligence, AAA imagines the potentialities engendered by whimsy in design for a new, warmer spectrum of embodied intelligences. The mechanical make of a machine serves not only to dictate its behavior but also to shape our perceptions and ensuing interactions. Novel design configurations precipitate novel cognitive functions, and thereby have potential to reshape the landscape of human-robot interaction.
Robots & Reputations
Robots have a bad rep. They often make the headlines, accompanied by negative sentiments such as dire warnings of impending job displacement, concerns about the erosion of human labor markets, and cautionary tales regarding the potential safety threats posed by autonomous machines. This doomsday thinking is fueled by decades of sci-fi fantasies that pigeonhole our thinking about the myriad ways in which robots could potentially accompany humans. Through new fictions, we can shape new cultural narratives, replacing negative sentiments with those of curious entanglements.
Embodied Intelligence
The body. You may have noticed that none of AAA robots are humanoids. Rather than pursuing human-like intelligence, AAA imagines the potentialities engendered by whimsy in design for a new, warmer spectrum of embodied intelligences. The mechanical make of a machine serves not only to dictate its behavior but also to shape our perceptions and ensuing interactions. Novel design configurations precipitate novel cognitive functions, and thereby have potential to reshape the landscape of human-robot interaction.
Creativity in AI & Robotics
Art school provides the perfect setting for a thought experiment that delves into thorny questions of creativity in AI. Moving beyond algorithmic fitness exercises, “art school” serves to explore how machines can truly learn, make meaning, and bring new visions into existence. It challenges us to think about the myriad of ways in which algorithms can expand from their pre-defined boundaries and become collaborative agents enabling new artistic expressions.
Art school provides the perfect setting for a thought experiment that delves into thorny questions of creativity in AI. Moving beyond algorithmic fitness exercises, “art school” serves to explore how machines can truly learn, make meaning, and bring new visions into existence. It challenges us to think about the myriad of ways in which algorithms can expand from their pre-defined boundaries and become collaborative agents enabling new artistic expressions.
