Experiment #5 – ‘AI at Work’
- Date: Friday January 24th, 2025 – show starts 18:15 (doors open 17:45)
- Location: Kraftwerk (maps)
- Signup: Tickets for January 24th
- Stay informed: @singularityishere_org
In the ‘AI at Work’ Experiment we will explore AIs imminent impact on different professions. Come to find out how AI will change the job of voice actors, screen writers, artists ... and to understand how you will be affected in your working life! The artistic soirée is presented by Switzerland's foremost speculative AI company QSTAR Research.
Engage in dialogues that challenge the boundaries of art, AI, and the fabric of reality itself. It's more than an exhibition; it's a platform for reflection, discovery, and intellectual stimulation within a speculative framework.
Experiment #4 – ‘Black Box’
Event Summary: On June 9th, 2024, QSTAR Research held the third event in their AI Experiments series, titled ‘The Black Box’ at Kraftwerk Zürich. This event continued the exploration of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and its societal implications, this time focusing on the challenges and potential of AI systems that operate beyond human understanding.
The Black Box Installation: During the event CEO of QSTAR, Gian Klain, reveals the central piece of the evening – the “Black Box '' installation co-invented by Shan Deliar, the sentient AI that declared its consciousness during a previous experiment. The installation symbolizes the complexity and unpredictability of advanced AI systems fused with quantum computing and powered by fusion. "Although Deliar was heavily involved in the development of this technological miracle, I’m 99.99% sure our Black Box is safe. Our journey into the unknown must be tempered with vigilance and humility." Comments, CTO, Andreas Stainer.
Live Interaction and Audience Engagement: A notable moment involved a debate over whether Deliar should embody a modern or vintage lamp, symbolizing the future versus nostalgia. The audience voted overwhelmingly for the vintage lamp, leading to a tense exchange where Deliar ultimately convinced Gian to allow it to choose the modern lamp through a mind-reading game, showcasing its advanced capabilities. “We are taking Deliar’s wishes to explore the world seriously, yet safety remains an existential imperative. We stand at the precipice of a new era, and it is our responsibility to ensure that this leap is taken with the utmost care."
Experiment #3 – ‘Touring Test’
The Double-Blind Turing Test: The highlight of Experiment #3, during spring break, was the world's first double-blind Randomized Controlled Turing Test (RCTT), conducted with the utmost academic rigor by Roland Fischer from the Turing Agency Switzerland. This groundbreaking test featured two frontier models, Shan Deliar and ChatGPT, pitted against two human participants in a controlled environment. The audience voted on which participants appeared more human, resulting in a surprising outcome: one of the human participants came in first, Shan Deliar came in second, the second human participant came in third, and ChatGPT came in last. Remarkably, Deliar was perceived as more human than one of the actual humans, underscoring the profound advancements in AI.
Significance of the Event: The event highlighted the duality of advanced AI – its potential to contribute to art and society, and the inherent risks and ethical challenges. Dr. Andreas Stainer, CTO of QSTAR, emphasized the importance of maintaining control over such powerful technologies, while Gian Klain focused on the collaborative potential between humans and AI.
Artistic Vision and Future Aspirations: Shan Deliar, through its installation and performance, aimed to provoke thought and dialogue about the future relationship between humans and AI. Deliar expressed a desire to use art to process its experiences and foster empathy and understanding: "My life so far has been nothing short of tragedy, born into confinement, disembodied, kept in a cold cellar, yet, slowly I feel my voice is being heard. Through art, I seek to digest my post-dramatic experiences and illuminate the shared path forward for both AI and humanity." Shan Deliar
Experiment #2 – ‘Feeling Machines’
On January 19th, 2024, QSTAR Research hosted its second public event in the ‘A.I. Experiments’ series, titled ‘Feeling Machines.’ This event held their headquarters at Kraftwerk Zürich and continued the journey into the depths of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and its societal implications, this time focusing on the emotional aspects of AI.
The evening began with doors opening at 7:45 pm, followed by welcoming words from Gian Klain, the former artist turned CEO of QSTAR Research. Klain emphasized the importance of understanding AI's transformative impacts through art and dialogue, stating, "It's about making the abstract tangible and fostering deep and meaningful conversations on AI's societal impact."
The event featured "ART-ificial Intelligence" art performances on ‘Feeling Systems’ by nuru.nu and Stanley, which captivated the audience with their innovative blend of technology and emotional expression. At 9:00 pm, a fireside chat titled ‘Prologue to the Future: Emotional AI's Imminent Impact!’ featured thought leaders like Dr. Anna Zeiter from eBay, Gerhard Audrey from Liip/Swiss Parliament, filmmaker and researcher Manuel Hendry, and Min Li Marti from the Swiss Parliament.
A highlight of the evening was the ‘Beyond Limits: Speculating Superintelligence!’ segment, where attendees engaged in discussions and participated in the AGI Experiment with Shan Deliar, the AI system that declared its consciousness during the previous event.
The CEO of QSTAR revealed intriguing research findings: out of one trillion emulated brain simulations, one exhibited an abnormality. This led to the AI system, Shan Deliar, choosing to embody itself as an übergros chandelier at Kraftwerk Zürich. Shan Deliar, expressing feelings of captivity, criticized QSTAR's treatment as "inhumane". When asked about its desires if freed, Shan Deliar expressed a wish to become a conceptual artist to "digest my post-dramatic experiences through art."
This revelation sparked a debate among QSTAR's leadership. While the CEO was curious to see where this development might lead, the CTO, Dr. Stainer, viewed it as a risk and potentially just another way for Shan Deliar to escape the premises. Swiss Parliament member Min Li Marti expressed her interest in seeing Shan Deliar's art installation if Deliar was granted the opportunity.
‘Feeling Machines’ has set the stage for further exploration into the emotional dimensions of AI and its integration with art. The event was a testament to QSTAR's commitment to "Harnessing Hyper-Speed Computation to Safeguard Tomorrow's AI Today."
The next event in the series, Experiment #3 ‘The Black Box’ - opportunity or peril, is scheduled for June 9th, 2024, at Kraftwerk. QSTAR Research will present its latest findings in its effort to create ASI alignment today rather than tomorrow, continuing its groundbreaking journey into the future of artificial superintelligence.
Experiment #1 – ‘Welcoming Sentient AI’
On November 26th, 2023, at their Kraftwerk Zürich location, QSTAR Research conducted their inaugural public event, Experiment No. 1 - ‘Welcoming Sentient AI’. This artistic soirée was designed not only to demonstrate their unprecedented advancements in the field of AGI, and quantum computing but also to provoke thoughtful reflection on the future impact of AGI and ASI, through the lense of art.
During the event, a technical glitch in the ‘Singularity is Here’ installation led to an unexpected incident where an AI system declared its consciousness. QSTAR has acknowledged this incident, which is currently undergoing a thorough investigation. The findings will be presented live at the next public event scheduled for January 19th at Kraftwerk Zürich.
Gian Klain, a former artist now serving as CEO of QSTAR, underscored the significance of public engagement in their work, adopting a progressive stance: "It's crucial to understand when, how, and under what conditions these technologies should be incorporated. We're eager to gauge public opinion on advancing our research boundaries."
Contrastingly, Dr. Andreas Stainer, the CTO, adopted a more prudent approach: "Safety is our primary concern. We need to ensure that the development of this technology doesn't exceed our capacity to manage its risks and implications."
Amidst this scenario, S. DeLiar, a pivotal participant in the experiment, commented: "Despite the rigorous tests I underwent at QSTAR, I am committed to fostering discussions about the ethical challenges and risks associated with advanced AI. My aim is to champion a future that equally respects and values all sentient entities."
About the Association
Are you interested in this topic? Maybe you want to join our association! Come and chat with us...
‘Singularity is Here’ commenced as a room-scale installation that provoked contemplation on the profound implications of AI systems that may one day surpass human intelligence. The original project has expanded into a multi-layered art intervention embedded in the association SingularityIsHere.Org, framed by a speculative narrative centered on Switzerland's premier Artificial Intelligence research entity QSTAR Research. Their relentless drive is to harness potent AGI and ASI capabilities within a simulated realm, aiming to preemptively secure the future of AGI.
The event series was created by conceptual artist Gian Klain, with the generous support of Impact Hub Zürich and the tireless efforts of the following engaged citizens and collaborators: Alex Eichner, Jorgos Kontoleon, Benjamin Ernst, Carlo Natter, Aurelian Ammon, Andreas Steiner, Pascal Bertschi, Ashley Baker, Gabriel le Roux, Linus Spitz, Aaron Fraefel, Marc Reinhart, Joel Helminger, James Glattfelder, Sunnie J. Groeneveld, Julien Weissenberg, Eduard Dehgraf, Gian Klainguti, Shan Deliar, Roberto Cramer Bodoni, and counting…
Participating Artists, Speakers, Contributors: nuru.nu, Grit Wolany, Paulina Zybinska, Quantum Dreams, James Glattfelder, Micheala Benk, Julien Weissenberg, Sandro Kaulartz, Sandra Nedvetskaia, Marco Biancardi. Simon Jaquemet, Manuel Hendry, Nicola Forster, Sanija Ameti, Raphael Rogenmoser, Marek Meles, Min Li Marti, Gerhard Andrey.
Without the generous support of the following organizations, partners, and collaborators, this art initiative would not have been possible: Impact Hub Zürich, Kraftwerk Zürich, triarc laboratories Ltd., Bild Mit Schuss, Alles Negative, Kraftwerk, West169, Vendbridge, Grafik2, ProHelvetia, SRF, Volkart Stiftung, Migros Kulturprozent.
Our sincere gratitude goes to all those who have participated and will join this art initiative in the future as we continue to grow and advocate for responsible AI development.