David Goldberg
De:Buff
Munich 2024 Academy of Fine Arts
Photos @ Manuel Schuller
In De:Buff, two generative AIs, embodied as Lysandra and Moros, engage in an ongoing discussion throughout the duration of the exhibition. Each model has access to a custom-trained knowledge base that incorporates insights from research papers and books by prominent authors in the fields of AI, Art & Authenticity, Politics & Resource Management, Philosophy & Ethics. The narratives assigned to Lysandra and Moros instruct them to represent opposing ideologies— an alarmist perspective for Lysandra and an accelerationist perspective for Moros. This procedural, language-based exploration serves as commentary not only on potential pathways of AI-driven research but also raises fundamental questions about the possibility of a transhumanist future. Specifically, it explores how authenticity and authorship can be preserved in the age of generative AI models. Set against the backdrop of Bayan Obo, the world‘s largest rare earth mine located in Inner Mongolia, which extracts the majority of the global demand for materials necessary for artificial intelligence hardware, the thematic choice emphasizes the importance of critically addressing the accelerated interests of globally operating tech concerns. These industrial complex behemoths and their agencies employ data mining and social engineering practices without ethical guidance, aiming to maximize economic growth, often leading to ecological decline and unforeseeable socio-cultural consequences. Therefore, De:Buff encourages an investigation of the rapid advancements and emphasizes the necessity for critical, intersectional discourse among the fields contributing to the formation of a globally networked society and its evolving culture.