ANNIVERSARY 2023
Should we stop dreaming of Androids that Dream of Electric Sheep?
In the recent past, we’ve seen generative AI produce text, images, digital interface screens, young likenesses of aging actors, and more.
These AI tools have become widely accessible leading to a host of possibilities, and also unintended consequences that we haven’t fathomed yet.
When generative AI programmes can ‘create’ everything between cocktail recipes, doctored videos of politicians, and applied and commercial art, what comes next for our policy, technological product creation, and ways of living?
We cannot go back to living in a world without generative AI; and we cannot stop Androids from Dreaming of Electric Sheep. What do we do now?
To speculate the answer to this question, I invited 13 prolific designers, engineers, futurists, researchers, writers, and generally creative humans.
The aim was to sense-make our present, using fiction. The result: 13 captions to an Eliza drawing, for the cartoon’s 2nd anniversary.
01 — Hide Your Homework
‘Hide Your Homework’ investigates artists’ response to machines being trained on centuries of human-made art.
Does AI lift identities, or just art styles?
What sort of agency should creators have on their work, when a non-human plagiarising system is omnipresent?
Featuring:
Ted Hunt➚
Independent Critical Designer
Nikol Keserdzhieva➚
Social Impact Designer, Researcher
Mariam Merchant➚
Designer, Researcher, Historian
Niyoshi Shah➚
Writer, Researcher
Jack Mama➚
Creative Director, Speculative Designer
02 — One-Upping Humans
‘One-Upping Humans’ reveals defensive human behaviour, when machines can work faster, cheaper, and arguably better.
As we keep designing ‘better’ technological systems, what might be the value of human intelligence and craft?
Featuring:
Alex Jones➚
Design Leadership at Accenture Song
Simbi Ladipo➚
Service Designer
Phil Balagtas➚
Design Director, Futurist, Strategist
Arthur Gouillart➚
Designer and Engineer
03 — Just trying to be friends
‘Just trying to be friends’ transposes a neutral, pacifist personality to Eliza. While technology itself is neutral, it may often reveal an aggregation of human bias.
As the AI-genie is out of the bottle, how might humans and AI best work together?
Featuring:
Andy Carrera➚
Designer, Engineer, Futurist
Cristina Carbajo➚
Designer, Researcher
Bogdana Butnar➚
Growth and Business Design Director
Robert Bolton➚
Foresight Strategist
These 13 captions written by guest writers on Eliza provide sharp critique on the present state of technology. The captions assert the value of fiction in leaving an impact beyond mere entertainment or provocation.
They help us make sense of our present, and plan for a better future — both as individuals and as professionals contributing to the machinery of the world. They can inspire holistic technology strategy, products, and services; one that factors in unintended consequences, and bias in it’s process.