When I began this programme, I assumed I would need to write a traditional dissertation. At the EFI welcome talk I was pleasantly surprised to hear Chris Speed endorse projects which utilised artistic techniques and creativity. My project idea has therefore evolved from answering a specific question in a dissertation into a social/political commentary in the form of a creative output.
I have split this summary into two sections. Firstly, I summarise my thought process during the first semester by using snippets from my blog posts. Secondly, I explain my current project ideas and outline my plans going forward.
Key Moments – Semester 1 KIPP Blog Timeline
Week 2 – Highlighted politics and economics as areas of personal interest
Week 3 – Noted contrast between politics/economics and AI:
…legislation in some areas works because it has been tweaked and perfected for centuries (e.g. economics, violence). With big data and AI, we are essentially starting anew. This underscores the considerable effort and dedication ahead of us which is required for successful AI and data governance
– Explored Mo Gawdat’s 98% corporation tax idea:
…one idea that’s stuck with me is the proposal of a 98% income tax on AI companies. This concept can be attributed to Mo Gawdat, an entrepreneur and writer whose perspective on AI aligns closely with my own
Week 5 – Introduced an initial project thesis based on Gawdat’s idea:
Should a 98% corporation tax be introduced for companies which primarily utilise AI for the purpose of generating profit, or helping others to generate profit? My project will investigate the implications of this policy proposal, arguing in favour of this rather radical measure
– Firm decision on mode of representation – I want to present a thesis using a creative output, rather than the traditional dissertation:
I recently pitched a creative intervention as part of the Narratives of Digital Capitalism course. I became convinced that this kind of artistic critique can be one of the most effective ways of alerting the public to important issues: the spectacle attracts the public, facilitating the communication of an idea. I would like to utilise this form of output, so my mode of representation will be a substantial creative output accompanied by 4000 words … I’m considering three potential modes of output: a film to depict my imaginary worlds, a video game exploring these worlds, or a more abstract piece which will utilise data, poetry, and visual techniques to provoke comparison between each world
KIPP meeting 1 – Developed my thesis statement:
In response to questions on the ethics of a high tax rate, I clarified that I know my proposal isn’t considered ethical in Kantian/deontological ethics – it will cause widespread economic issues i.e. unemployment, stock market crash, etc. But this solution means choosing to deliberately take action now in order to avoid an AI-for-profit future, which I think will cause tenfold the unemployment and harm to the economy (amongst other, scarier things) of the high tax rate. So my intervention can be considered ethical, but only from a consequentialist/utilitarian POV. It’s almost a trolley problem. I was previously oversimplifying my ideas to be ‘logical vs illogical’, ‘right vs wrong’, but I now see these as opposing solutions which represent different ethical theories
– Developed my thoughts on AI in various economic systems:
It seems that a key danger – AI being used by humans as a weapon/for harm – is only present due to the commodification of AI programs. LLMs are profitable due to user demand. AI has therefore been shared by companies with the general public before we can guarantee that it is safe for public use. In a non-capitalist system, the interest in AI would be not for its profit-generating capabilities but for its other, much more significant offerings. There would be no ‘AI Race’, so AI wouldn’t need to be commodified, risking public safety. I may therefore slightly change my project’s creative output, which will present a potential ‘AI utopia’ and a potential ‘AI dystopia’, to be that of a capitalist world vs a non-capitalist/socialist/Marxist world, showing how AI is perceived, treated, and used in each economic system
– Gradually began to broaden my thesis idea to one based on AI’s relationships with opposing economic systems (usually capitalism vs socialism) from this point onwards
Week 6 – Noted I would need to experiment with different creative methods before deciding how to present my thesis
Week 8 – Decided to maintain an ideas evolution journal using Notion as a private, informal supplement to my KIPP blog
Week 9 – Identified Narratives of Digital Capitalism as the course which contributed the most to my thesis’ development:
Narratives of Digital Capitalism has contributed to the curation of my project idea in two key ways. Firstly, it has enhanced my academic focus on capitalism and other economic systems, providing a nuanced understanding of digital capitalism’s various facets. Secondly, it has influenced the methodology and format of my project. My learning in this course has helped me crystallise the type of output I aim to produce
Moving Forward – Project Ideas
In Semester 2, my focus will shift towards understanding the effects each economic system has, is having, or will have on AI, particularly the resulting social changes. Armed with this understanding, I aim to make informed decisions on how best to represent these differences through creative interventions. I’m predominantly interested in public artefacts and guerrilla art. I am particularly inspired by the Face 2 Face project by artists JR and Marco, a 2007 commentary on the conflict in Gaza and wider Israel/Palestine, in which portraits of Palestinians and Israelis doing the same job were posted face to face, in huge formats and in unavoidable places, in both Israeli and Palestinian areas. The exhibition highlighted the humanity of the people on both sides of the conflict, hence emphasising the tragedy of the loss of life and advocating for a peaceful resolution to the issue.
I have started my winter break research on economic ideologies, starting with Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Politics. I plan to continue reading key primary sources on economic ideologies and systems in chronological order. Once I have a good foundation of knowledge in this area, and have attended my first supervision meeting, I will move on to applying this knowledge specifically to AI and data.
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I’m really looking forward to my first supervision meeting. Given the unfamiliar territory, I’m lacking confidence in whether I am on the right track and adhering to the expected course of action, so it will be great to receive some guidance.
