We are used to embracing personal truths from social media posts that echo our biases. This happens whether we want to admit it or not. Our social echo-chambers are curated by platforms like Facebook and Twitter in order to give us what we already crave. These digital models create a reality without origin. I find that it can be impossible to trace an idea or image to its original source.
The use of AI and algorithmic processes that control what we see and how we react online is a concept that I have never thought to explore with my work. The way that information is spread can be a message in itself. As I watch news outlets, social media sites, and individual "experts" converse about the COVID-19 crisis, the systematic corruption of our global morality becomes clearer and clearer. What is truth? Can a robot decide that for me? Does my television have the final say?
For this project, I will be researching and creating my own Twitter bot. I aim to have the bot spit out tweets on a daily or even hourly basis. I will be responding to the tweets visually and sonically, and aim to present the original tweet, alongside of my response, on my blog.
This can be a sweet and harmless project, or it could potentially be a very threatening and truth-altering project. I'll explain:
The Twitter bots I have been drawn to so far are very obviously bots. Often, the titles of the accounts have the word "bot" in them. These artistic approaches to artificial production sparked my interest in this project. The website cheapbotsdonequick.com is responsible for all of the bots that have influenced my project.
I want to focus my bot on the relationship between human and machine, but in an abstract way. In this way I am most attracted to the @future_junk bot. These bots are simple, and create tweets that are approachable and cute.
Part of me wants to fuck with people. What if I created a bot that made up false headlines? What if I tried to tap in to cultural and moral dialog? There is opportunity for a tweet created by my bot to go viral. Would it be my responsibility if that tweet caused uproar?
I will honestly probably make different bots for different projects. I would genuinely like to create one that tweets out emojis/characters (like @lotsofeyes) just so I can make paintings in response to them. I would also like to make music "scores" for the tweets as well. This might be a collage-type project where a lot is happening at once. It will unfold how it unfolds.
Twitter accounts that inspire this project:
@future_junk
@infinitedeserts
@dungeon_junk
@thetinygallery
@lotsofeyes
Timeline:
Bot created and running by April 25th
A goal of 20 responses by the end of the term
-half of those will be visual/painted
-half of those will be sonic/music oriented
The use of AI and algorithmic processes that control what we see and how we react online is a concept that I have never thought to explore with my work. The way that information is spread can be a message in itself. As I watch news outlets, social media sites, and individual "experts" converse about the COVID-19 crisis, the systematic corruption of our global morality becomes clearer and clearer. What is truth? Can a robot decide that for me? Does my television have the final say?
For this project, I will be researching and creating my own Twitter bot. I aim to have the bot spit out tweets on a daily or even hourly basis. I will be responding to the tweets visually and sonically, and aim to present the original tweet, alongside of my response, on my blog.
This can be a sweet and harmless project, or it could potentially be a very threatening and truth-altering project. I'll explain:
The Twitter bots I have been drawn to so far are very obviously bots. Often, the titles of the accounts have the word "bot" in them. These artistic approaches to artificial production sparked my interest in this project. The website cheapbotsdonequick.com is responsible for all of the bots that have influenced my project.
I want to focus my bot on the relationship between human and machine, but in an abstract way. In this way I am most attracted to the @future_junk bot. These bots are simple, and create tweets that are approachable and cute.
Part of me wants to fuck with people. What if I created a bot that made up false headlines? What if I tried to tap in to cultural and moral dialog? There is opportunity for a tweet created by my bot to go viral. Would it be my responsibility if that tweet caused uproar?
I will honestly probably make different bots for different projects. I would genuinely like to create one that tweets out emojis/characters (like @lotsofeyes) just so I can make paintings in response to them. I would also like to make music "scores" for the tweets as well. This might be a collage-type project where a lot is happening at once. It will unfold how it unfolds.
Twitter accounts that inspire this project:
@future_junk
@infinitedeserts
@dungeon_junk
@thetinygallery
@lotsofeyes
Timeline:
Bot created and running by April 25th
A goal of 20 responses by the end of the term
-half of those will be visual/painted
-half of those will be sonic/music oriented
I think your project is so so interesting. I can't wait to see it.
ReplyDeleteyou have some really creative idea and I enjoy how you play around with different medias and the relationship between human and artificial things.
ReplyDeletei've been thinking a lot about the relationship between the human and the machine-- some marshall mcluhan shit! this is very different than other works i've seen of yours, and i am interested to see what you will find from this sort of social experiment. i like your emphasis on the spontaneity of it... no ideal end product. v exciting tan tan
ReplyDeletei'm in love, can't wait to see the final product. i was reminded of a question someone asked me as i read "the systematic corruption of our global morality". talking about rebuilding the economy: "do we need the same economy?"
ReplyDelete