Art & Neuroscience & Technology & Philosophy

An interactive kinetic sculpture bridges the realms of Human and AI cognition through dynamic visual perception.

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Features laser-cut acrylic boards with intricate generative geometric patterns, designed to create optical illusions through human visual system when spun using a gear system connected to a hand crank.

'Echoes' in Human Mind

In neuroscience, "echoes" could refer to the brain’s neuronal reverberation, where sensory input—like visual or emotional stimuli—triggers ongoing neural activity. The overlapping patterns–designed through generative coding in Javascript–illuminated by light in a dark environment, create emerging patterns that are projected onto a wall. These illusions are achieved through motion and light interplay, relying on principles of human visual perception, which are not just tricks of light but reflections of the brain's inner workings—how neural processes construct reality through predictive coding.

Then, what happened at a lower level? In the visual cortex, light and motion leave traces of what has been seen. These traces, through continuous reverberation and processing, produce optical illusions that make sense to the human brain, even if they don’t align with physical reality. As an example, the additional layers and depths perceived on the wall don’t exsit physically, but still can be interpreted by human brain.  

Technical Description: Geometry Patterns are created through generative coding in Javascript and Python leveraging mathematical algorithms and iterative processes to produce optical illusional designs when spun.

'Echoes' in AI 'Mind'

Simultaneously, a connected AI system observes and interprets participants’ emotional states through its own "neural networks" using a multimodal analysis system, powered by a leading-edge face recognition model and a fine-tuned large language model. The AI generates text-based interpretations of the participants' emotional states, which are projected alongside the illusions, tinted by the radial iridescent acrylic board’s color.

Technical Description

• Multimodal AI System: A wireless camera captures the emotional states of participants, and passes that data into a multimodal AI system powered by the DeepFace model and GPT-3.5-turbo model, which uses analyzed emotional states to generate interpretative text responses reflecting the perspective of the "AI mind"

• Projection Mapping: The OSC server and Syphon server bridge the communication in Python program, Processing, and Madmapper, enabling the projection of AI-generated text onto the wall through the spinning acrylic boards.

The text is tinted by the radial iridescent colors of the acrylic, creating a visual representation of AI's filtered "understanding."

The Juxtaposition highlights parallels between human perception and AI interpretation

both of which rely on prior experience, pattern recognition, and filtered understanding through sensory processing mechanisms

Through this interplay of physical motion, light, and AI interaction, Echoes of the Minds reveals the constructive nature of perception, questioning the boundaries between human and machine cognition.

By engaging with the sculpture, participants are invited to reflect on the layered processes that shape how both humans and AI "see" and interpret the world.

Ultimately, Critical Questions

As society is so motivated to design superintelligent systems, are we building them in the right way?

By examining the boundaries between human and machine cognition—and reflecting on what truly defines us as human—
do these superintelligent systems align with the values and future we truly desire?

NEXT PROJECT

Projection Mapping

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