Interactive Instalation ·
As part of this research-creation project we created an interactive installation called “Hybrid Ecologies: Visualizing the Terrestrial Trace of Artificial Intelligence”. It was exhibited at the Centro Cultural La Moneda (Santiago, Chile) between December 2023 and April 2024. This work addressed critical questions about the intersection of AI development and water usage and explored the operational mechanisms of AI and its substantial water footprint. By making AI's processes tangible, the project challenges the perception of AI as an immaterial entity and highlights the essential role that water and other natural resources play in sustaining AI technologies.
The installation invited people to generate their own images through the interaction with two AI models. These images were then projected on one of the walls. At the same time 32ml of water falls from a sphere made of mushrooms. The visitors generate a collection of images co-created with the AI about the tension between technological development and environment, materializing the AI's water consumption. As part of this project we calculated the water needed to generate an image using the stable diffusion model.
It is important to highlight that the project emerged from an interdisciplinary research process at the crossroads of design, social sciences, engineering, and art. This comprehensive approach reflects our broader practice, which constantly seeks to bridge disciplinary gaps to address complex ecological and technological issues. By creating a space for interaction and contemplation, we strive to foster new ways of understanding and engaging with the global impacts of AI.
Find more details in the project brochure.
