Research Creation
For the research and creation project which I will be working on for the remainder of this semester, I have chosen to explore the concept of personal identity as well as how it relates to the potential rise of a human-like form of artificial intelligence. More specifically, I want to ask the question: In what ways would the very idea of identity, as conceived within our contemporary society, be challenged by the advent of artificially intelligent.
To me, the importance of this question lies within the fact that it re-contextualizes and questions every component of what we believe makes us, us. This means that my project will disregard our current knowledge about the technological and technical limitations of AI and will instead be a sociological thought experiment meant to challenge and, hopefully, alter how we view and interact with one another. It will do so by showing that most, if not all, of the components which form our identity are entirely constructed by the society in which we exist and have no empirical basis outside of it. By understanding that identity is constructed, we open up the doors to then deconstruct it with the ultimate goal of getting rid of the negative stereotypes and preconceived notions which are often the root cause of hate, conflict, and discrimination.
To answer my question, I have chosen to create a universe in which artificial intelligence navigates the world through “shells” which are essentially human-like bodies. The twist is that those bodies would be temporary and ever-changing meaning that every physical part of their identity would be rendered futile, thereby furthering my original claim that lens through which we understand identity are constructed.
The essays which are going to be at the forefront of the research aspect of my project are Race: Biological Reality or Social Construct by Robin O. Andreasen and Doing Gender, Determining Gender by Laurel Westbrook and Kristen Schilt. They both question our understanding of race and gender respectively and try to determine weather they are innate to our nature as humans or socially constructed.
I am still unsure of the exact way in which I will portray this universe, but I am set on the fact that I want it to rely heavily on drawings. There are two main reasons which justify this choice. Firstly, the first signifiers of identity are often visual. Among others, the color of a person’s skin, their perceived gender, or the way they dress, act direct visual queues which we translate through our preconceived notion to create a distinct yet highly stereotypical personas for every single person we encounter. By opting for a visually driven medium, I would allow myself to toy with those visual queues and flip them around on their heads. Secondly, drawing would allow me to go further with my depictions than, say photography, would as it is a medium with which I am already familiar and comfortable. To create those images, I will most likely rely on my drawing tablet as well as Procreate: a Photoshop-like program focused on drawing.
Here are some of my main inspirations for the project:
The Vocaloids
The Vocaloids are a completely digital Japanese musical group. They are led by the teal-haired main singer: Hatsune Miku who, in Japan, is regarded as not only a successful pop-star, but also as a very important cultural symbol. The band, just like any other, releases songs, music videos, and even perform in live concerts as 3D projections.
What inspires me about them is the cultural gravitas which they have gathered. They do not have physical bodies, but this has not stopped them from gathering a very real fanbase who follow the lives of the digital stars very closely. Although they are not humans, there is an argument to be made about the realness of their character, especially when compared to the superstars we know and love.
Concert : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJA8-Z6H5dM (begins at 0:02:30)
Music Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIfLTw3tbE8
Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell is a major Japanese IP created by Masamune Shirow which has been adapted countless times, from its beginnings as a graphic novel, to the many television series it has spawned, and eventually to a multi-million-dollar Hollywood feature length film. It essentially tells the story of a world in which technology has evolved to a point where humans are able to replace their bodies with cybernetic parts until nothing is left but their “ghosts” which are essentially an analogy for their souls.
It plays heavily with ideas of who has rights and who doesn’t as the line between human and machine are constantly blurred. It introduces a certain of temporarily of the body – considering that their bodies are constructed and can be replaced – which plays with identity in similar as what I want to do.
Deck
project: AVVA – Deck PowerPoint DOWNLOAD
Ryan Bechara - Media Lab 