“Algorithmic Miner: Humanity in Service – An AI-Driven VR Journey Into Machine Logic” by Sun, Wei and Hui
Conference:
Type(s):
Title:
- Algorithmic Miner: Humanity in Service - An AI-Driven VR Journey Into Machine Logic
Session/Category Title:
- Culture and Computation
Presenter(s)/Author(s):
Moderator(s):
Abstract:
Algorithmic Miner is a VR-based interactive art installation that critically explores the exploitation and marginalization of data annotation workers, whose labor is fundamental to the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). These essential yet often invisible laborers function as the “resource mine” within the technological infrastructure, embodying the commodification and alienation of human labor as described by Marx and Heidegger’s concept of “enframing.” The installation symbolically reconstructs the monotonous nature of data annotation tasks through immersive VR interactions. Participants engage in repetitive image and text annotation tasks, mirroring the tedious and dehumanizing aspects of real-world data labeling. The object recognition component introduces a “reverse scenario” where human agency is subordinated to AI logic, compelling participants to alter their virtual environment in accordance with machine directives. As participants complete these tasks, their efforts materialize as golden jellyfish, ascending to a virtual utopia composed of gleaming steel and lush natural landscapes. This transformation symbolizes the abstraction and exploitation of human creativity within AI-driven systems. Algorithmic Miner envisions a future where machine logic dominates discourse, dictating human creativity and redefining reality, resonating with Baudrillard’s notion of the “hyperreal simulacrum.” By exposing the hidden labor and ethical implications inherent in the tech industry, the installation urges audiences to reconsider the complex interplay between society, the environment, and technology. It invites reflection on the human costs associated with technological advancement, highlighting the need for a more equitable and conscious integration of human labor within AI systems.
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