If you have been feeling just a bit too positive lately, then Jakub Koźniewski has got just the right electronic art installation to bring you down a few notches. He has developed a set of three large language model (LLM)-powered pieces of art called Models of Crisis that may not give off the most positive vibes, but they will definitely get you thinking.
Koźniewski first prompts an LLM to return a set of words that describe his current feelings and emotions. Each of the three pieces then display the results returned by the model on a sequence of 14-segment alphanumeric displays that are driven by a Raspberry Pi Pico W. In every case, the LLM’s results are displayed a bit differently, and there are some subtle tweaks to the way the model is prompted as well.
The first piece is called Mood Swing . It is a horizontal bar perched on top of a tripod that can rock back and forth as it displays words and phrases generated by the LLM. The model was instructed to produce emotional antonyms, as well as some “in-between” words. These words are displayed in order, with the bar swinging back and forth to physically represent the mood swings that we all feel from time to time.
Next up is Train of Thought , which is probably the most appealing of all of the pieces visually, but also the most depressing. It is a model train that has been covered with a smooth, black surface that has a set of 14-segment displays on its top. As the train zooms around the track, it displays an endless stream of AI-generated doubts, regrets, and anxieties. Pretty dark, I know, but they are called Models of Crisis for a reason.
Last, but not least, is Rise & Shine , which finally gives us some positivity… as long as you don’t look too closely. This piece has a set of eight displays that can slide up and down a board on linear rails, each showing a part of the LLM’s output. On the surface, Rise & Shine appears to be very upbeat, but the model was instructed to produce futile and baffling words of encouragement that probably won’t do you much good.
Whew! Models of Crisis is certainly very thought-provoking, but I need to go do some soldering or blink some LEDs to forget about it now. I would have never made it as an artist.
Models of Crisis (📷: Jakub Koźniewski)
Mood Swing (📷: Jakub Koźniewski)
Train of Thought (📷: Jakub Koźniewski)
Rise & Shine (📷: Jakub Koźniewski)
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