on Toshareproject.it - curated by Bruce Sterling
CalcGPT
2023
GPT-3 (babbage-002), HTML, CSS and JS on website
Calvin Liang. (((assisted by ChatGPT)))
CalcGPT, conceived by an incisive and quirky artist-engineer Calvin Liang, serves as the praxis of satire in a hyper-advanced AI-dominated era. Imbued with an ingenious blend of technology and dry humor, the creation shrewdly prods at the modern world’s pervasive and at times, excessive leaning towards AI solutions – even when not necessarily needed.
More than merely functional, this artwork manifests in the rather unassuming form of a calculator, powered by the sophisticated GPT language model. But this isn’t your standard piece of tech; instead, it is a clever parody, an emblem of resistance to the unrelenting AI craze.
CalcGPT embodies the timeless adage – ‘Old is Gold’ – reminding us that it’s often rewarding to resort to established, traditional methods rather than chasing buzzword-infused cutting-edge tech. Serving not just as a computational tool, but as a poignant social commentary, this creation employs the grandeur of technology to a funny yet thought-provoking end.
The piece invites us to reflect on the necessity and relevance of AI in every aspect of our lives as opposed to its prevailing use as a mere marketing gimmick. With its delightful slowness and propensity for computational errors, CalcGPT elicits mirth while urging us to question our zealous indulgence in all things AI.
Liang’s creation is laced with understated humor, driving home a lighthearted critique on our unchecked fascination with AI. CalcGPT urges us to weigh the equilibrium between preserving tradition and embracing innovation and reflects on the possibility of our headlong pursuit of fashionable tech buzzwords misguiding us.
^ written by ChatGPT