The relation between art and artificial intelligence is at the centre of the Suchi Reddy’s work. She has built a light structure commissioned by Amazon Web Services (AWS), precisely «a two-story light-filled sculpture titled me + you».

What does this sculpture do?

It puts together the beauty of an artistic installation and the latest technological discoveries such as systems that “learn” using external data. This technology is called “machine learning”. Here the description from Amazon web site:

«Visitors speak a single phrase, “My future is…” and then fill in the blank with a single word. The entire phrase is “heard” by the piece. Using Amazon’s machine learning (ML) and language recognition systems, the sculpture’s code responds with a physical display of kinetic color and light that expresses those uttered visions of the future» (complete article here).

It is a very interesting project, but, at the same time, it is important to be aware of the limits of technology: people do not think that these new discoveries are going to replace human rationality. They always have to think that exists a difference between intelligence and the simulation of it. As Reddy says: «I want to think about technology in a place where it really makes us better humans». It means that technological and moral developments have to walk together.

Giovanni Covino

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