22 years after the events of "2001: A Space Odyssey" and 55 years after the release of Stanley Kubrick's science fiction film, the ghost of the computer HAL 9000 appears in various places.

 

He tells what it is like to have consciousness and memories - human self-awareness. His voice - originally Douglas Rain - was created  with the help of AI. Parallel to this the text is sent into the universe with red light morse code. The colour of the light awakens the memory of the red eye of HAL 9000.

 

Light and sound are locked in a grid box. Thus HAL 9000 appears as a strange collection of technology in a transport cage. This corresponds with the fact that in the text he talks about what it is like to have human self-awareness, but to be enclosed in himself with it.

Munich:

  • Saturday, 14 October from 6 p.m.: Deutsches Museum, Long Night of Museums.
  • Tuesday, 24 October 7:15 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Square in front of the Feldherrnhalle
  • Wednesday, 25 October 7:15 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Under the bridge Landsberger/ corner Trappentreustraße
  • Thursday, 26 October 6:15 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Theresienwiese, at the foot of Bavaria

Rosenheim and Regensburg:

  • Friday and Saturday 10 - 11 November: Rosenheim Art Association, Art Film Days
  • Thursday 23 November from approx. 7 pm: Neuer Kunstverein Regensburg

On the Subject

 

It is about the discussion of how human AI can become. It is about the fears whether AI can even develop consciousness  and will soon be superior to us.

 

Several points are responsible for these fears:

  • The use of the term intelligence for the performance of machines. Our brain is made of completely different "material" and functions completely differently from the data processing in a computer. A possibly similar output does not mean that the way to get there is similar in any way.
  • We give computers or robots human forms or human voices as soon as they are supposed to interact with humans. We even let them simulate human emotions.
  • In reports about the development of AI, science fiction films are always referred to. But these films have nothing to do with the real development. They take up our diffuse fears and make them real for us through the stories and images told in the film.

 

HAL 9000 is suitable for taking these points ad absurdum and making us think about them. He embodies our nightmares. He makes independent decisions in order to fulfill his task. Since humans stand in the way of fulfilment, they must be killed. He communicates like a human. He simulates empathy but has none. He appeals to the feelings of the last surviving astronaut, Dave Bowman, as he gradually shuts him down. For instance, he claims to be afraid.

 

As a revenant, as the ghost of a supercomputer, he is now pondering what it is like to have (human?) self-awareness.

Credits & Support

 

Concept, visual design, text and sound editing : Birthe Blauth

Lighting and audio technology, programming: Rainer Ludwig

On the half-dismantled Octoberfest, Nov 26th

Video from the first test + the final sound

On Odeaonsplatz in front of Feldherrnhalle, Nov 24th