Entangling Media – Assignment 4 Reflection

About Multimodal

Multimodal storytelling was introduced to us in form of the article Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek. A piece of media that tells a non-fiction story, told in an engaging way using multiple medium such as text, photography, video, sound recording, and even physical space. They are put together in a comprehensive composition such as a website or social media. To me, multimodal is a spider web connecting different dots of the story, and in this web, audiences are given choices to navigate in their own way: ‘The more technology develops the diffusion of information (and notably of images) the more it provides the means of masking the constructed meaning under the appearance of the given meaning’ (Dowling 2019). Therefore, each medium shines differently and enhances a different aspect of the story hence heighten audience’s immersion. As the result, the idea of multimodal media has been applied widely to anyone who has access to internet or has been on the street with billboards. I have no doubt that it will be the only form of media in the future now that authors and creators have access to a significant range of technology and audience are getting more and more used to getting a larger amount of information at once.

About our Project

UN-GLITCH

Our Un-Glitch project focus on exploring a large range of mediums and thereby creates layers of meaning to the work. It is a combination of immersive space and interactive websites where we explore the concept of human nature and artificial intelligence and how these two communicate. The initial reaction of anyone who hears about AI is to be worried or even panicked. However, this hysteria about a development of new technology has been going on since the introduction of TV or phones.

‘Un-glitch’ from Media Factory on Vimeo.

In reaction to this phenomenon, I made a video art to highlight that ‘rather than catastrophizing and pushing against the tides of modernity, artists [or everyone] should empower themselves by wielding this unique tool to shape culture’ (Pilat 2022) which leads to the artistic choice of the glitch. The glitch is political, its existence as a ghost in the machine indicates the lack of ability to control technology of human. And as the video proceeds, the images un-glitch which portray the calm and harmonious relationship between the human and technology by highlighting the help of technology and the craft of the human’s hand that are both irreplaceable. The presentation of the video using the medium of moving fabric also plays a critical part. The fabric creates a natural fluidity which is sometime contrast to but sometime harmonies with the technological glitch. At the end of the video is the QR code, which leads to the website, however with the movement of the fabric people may not be able to scan it, which also creates a conflict between nature and technology.

On the interactive website, we focus on explaining the concept and delivering the interviews while keeping it engaging for the user. For example, showcasing and comparing the two same audio files, one is recorded on the phone, and one is the same one but enhanced by AI. We also stated on the webpage how minimal the actions needed to be taken to have such a different result for the enhanced one, but we also leave audience to decide which one they like better. Another profile experiments with the spacing of text to mimic the flow of information with and without by starting off with spacing out the text and getting denser, more crowded and clumped towards the end. Again, we try to portray the good, the bad, and the grey area in between for audience to freely decide where on the spectrum is their attitude towards the technology.

About Engagement and Further Development

About the engagement of audience to our exhibition, the order would ideally be watching the video art piece first, then the QR code that leads to the website. One of our biggest concerns is how to keep the interviews, which are the main research and information source, interactive and interesting enough for audience to keep scrolling. We would love our audience to freely navigate the homepage, click on whatever profile or quote that catches their eyes and raises their curiosity. There is also a page to explain the concept of the video art if anyone fancies one. Furthermore, the debate about AI has been a heated one since day one, hence I think this project can reach to a much wider audience outside of university. The project is based on different perspectives of individuals; therefore, it can be turned into a social media account that can engage with more opinions and arguments.

To furthermore develop this project, I have no doubt that we can grow it even more with more interviews and insights from people from different fields that are using different applications of AI. AI is not just a chat bot; it exists in many forms and is used in so many contexts, and it has just been almost a year since the rise of it. When is it going to peak, how further and wider is it going to grow to? I think there are so many other specific questions to ask. For example, is AI just invading your information or is it helping too? We can ask the IT people. Or just last week, the owner of Open AI Sam Altman was questioned on AI safety, and he said if it worried them, then just put more laws and regulations on it (Associated Press 2023). Then the question would be to what extent? Who is going to regulate it? How will that affect the users’ right to knowledge?

During our discussion, lots of ideas for the interactive website that came up but did not make it into the final website due to our lack of resource and knowledge about web design. Some of the left-out ideas are a pop-up comment section for audience who visit the website to leave their own opinion there, live AI dictation that transcript the audio on the spot, and many more. It would also be much better if we have access to archival interviews about the people reaction to introductions of new technology in the past and how it changed over time to justify the hysteria and enrich the information on the website. We can also enhance what we did, such as figuring out how to play both audios at once and let the audience decide which one to mute rather than listen to one interview twice.

Our website is an archive of human intakes about this issue, stands as a record of another historical moment in technology development, which is at the end still a human’s achievement. And as the accompanied video is made in a form of video art and for an exhibition, it can be taken to galleries and other exhibitions to be shown and curated as a reactional art piece too.

About Collaboration

About collaboration, our group including myself, Rachael, Amy, and Lewis made quite a perfect team. Rachael and I started the idea of debating between nature and technology which both Amy and Lewis were interested in and narrow it down to human nature versus artificial intelligence. We decided from the beginning to utilize our best skill: me with visual effects, Rachael with web designs, Lewis and Amy with their interview and writing skill, which together fulfill all necessary aspects of a multimodal media piece and resulted in our project. As a result, we had a chance to sharpen our skills, and everyone did their part effectively, comprehensively, and especially on time, therefore there was no difficulties in finishing this project.

The start of the project was bumpy because there was always someone who did not show up. However, one thing our team did best was communicating: informing their availability, dividing the workload equally, and cheering each other up. We used our timeline wisely and contributed passionately. I think it was also why towards the end of the project we always showed up as a whole, we had the most efficient discussions, and truly enjoyed the process and being in a group.

References