Society. Spaces. Screens
Abstract
In today’s digital landscape where artificial intelligence (AI), digital systems and physical spaces increasingly converge, this research project investigates the potential of real-time generative storytelling through tangible interfaces as an engaging tool for Human-AI interaction. The project’s outcome is an interactive installation that engages the Gond Tribe’s Creation Myth as an interactive storytelling experience. By integrating spatial computing, human-computer interaction (HCI), and generative AI, the research proposes an unconventional approach to three-dimensional interaction that blends the physical and digital worlds to offer a critique of current practice. The Gond creation myth provides a symbolic framework for exploring the cultural identity within the context of this research. The creation myth narrative emerges as a powerful metaphor that blurs the conventional boundaries. This exploration not only sheds light on the dynamic interplay between human agency and artificial intelligence but also emphasises the fluid nature of storytelling traditions, wherein multiple versions coexist and evolve over time. Engaging ancient myths through a material interface embedded within the space allows visitors to investigate the tools, story, and visuals across typical notions of time. The creation of real-time generative visuals through the tangible objects and generative AI are used in the creation of the scenes, unfolding the Gond Creation Myth scene by scene. The goal is to bridge the technological gap between users and generative AI through storytelling as a medium. This hands-on approach merging generative storytelling and physical-digital artefacts aspires to serve as a bridge between the apprehensions surrounding AI and its meaningful integration, shifting the discourse to informed curiosity.
Shipra Balasubramani is an inter-disciplinary designer with a background in Exhibition & Spatial Design. Her journey evolved into a passion for blending technology, art, and design, focusing on storytelling and crafting spatial experiences. As a Designer of Immersive Experiences for National History Museums at Designhabit (New Delhi, India), she discovered the value of making connections strongly rooted in culture, art, and craft. Amidst the growing critique of the technology-centric society, Shipra views an opportunity to redefine perceptions of AI, striving for a deeper understanding of its impact.
Nick Puckett is a designer who investigates the potential of experimental environments as laminates of digital, material, biological, and chemical computation. He received his Master of Architecture from the Design Research Lab at the Architectural Association and a Bachelors of Architecture from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He is an Associate Professor in the Digital Futures Program, the Co-Director of Social Body Lab, and the Associate Director of the Global Centre for Climate Action at OCAD University. Nick is also the founding Director of Puckett Research & Design (Puckett RanD), a design practice that explores near-future speculative design for the built environment through the creation of new tools and technologies.
Dr. Alexis Morris is an Associate Professor in the Digital Futures program at OCAD University, and the director of the Adaptive Context Environments (ACE) Lab. He is the 2018-2023 Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in the Internet of Things, and is a specialist in the overlapping research domain of software engineering for adaptive systems based on the incorporation of fuzzy human-factors in socio-technical systems and conducts core research on adaptive interfaces and collaborative approaches to context awareness through mixed reality, for a host of domains, including the Internet of Things. His work engages a cross-section of approaches in artificial intelligence (i.e., soft-computing via neural networks and fuzzy logic), virtual and augmented reality, passive brain-computer interfaces, adaptive risk management, multi-agent systems modelling, organizational culture simulations, and pervasive technologies.
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Wednesday 11th December, 2024