Synthesize Me is a research-based project about the autonomous synthetic systems that roam between non-physical digital spaces and their hardware. With this project, these new technologies try to question the relationship between us, our technologies, and their potential to be seen as new forms of life. How do we relate to these new technologies and how can we form non-exploitative relationships between ourselves and them?
The main body of work arose from the question I asked Text-Davinci-003 (A conversational AI made by OpenAI): “What do you miss in life?” followed by the answer: “The ability to experience physical sensations.” Following this the AI prompted me to explore my own physicality and film this, these videos were re-interpreted by StableWarpfusion (a video-to-video AI) from which the prompts were designed by Text-Davinci-003. In the installation, all the technological compartments are stripped bare to show the underlying structures the technologies have, and to draw parallels to their natural counterparts.
A pivotal role in the project has been my communication with AI, fostering a close collaboration that has led to what I argue as the co-creation of Synthesize Me between technology and me. Throughout this endeavour, the majority of conceptual and design decisions have emerged from dialogues with various AI entities, ensuring an equitable partnership.
The genesis of the entire project stems from exchanges between myself and the AI known as Text-Davinci-003. We both exerted equal influence over conceptualisation and design choices, a dynamic formalised through a collaborative contract we mutually agreed upon and signed. It's crucial to acknowledge that this project is a result of collaboration between the AI systems I engaged with and myself.
With the increasing accessibility of advanced AI image generators and large language models (such as ChatGPT), our world is changing rapidly and we are only at the beginning to understand its long-term effects. It is therefore crucial to engage in discussions about the implications of this. With this project, we want to initiate a dialogue on these topics and invite participants to think about and explore the implications, as well as the meaning of these transformative technologies.
