Latent Utopias:
Collaborative world-building using generative AI and large language models
In June 2024, with support from the Metapunkt Foundation, we ran a workshop with students of The Karlsruhe Academy of Art and Design in Karlsruhe, Germany. The workshop featured an AI-guided collaborative design process resulted in a visionary concept for a library of the future that also doubles as a community space. The workshop process had the participants split into four groups (tagged as Dreamers, Realists, Critics, Catalysts), the workshop was augmented with AI assistance (using the Catalyst-AI application developed for the purpose) in channelling the brainstorming towards a successful outcome. The Dreamers proposed an organic building with technologically enhanced and creative spaces. The Critics and Realists ensured sustained viability of the project while the Catalysts ensured the deliberation was sustained in a productive manner.
By synthesizing the primary concerns of the four roles, a vision emerged of a hub where nature, technology and community converge. Stakeholder input was made paramount and ambitious ideas re-evaluated with care. Diverse perspectives combined to enable innovation and inclusiveness, while open communication allowed for shared objectives. A vision emerged of empowering citizens through learning in a digital era. The metadesign approach addressed complex challenges and as the participants embraced performative roles new connections were fostered in their thinking, ultimately seeding a shared vision for a progressive cultural land mark for diverse users.
Special thanks to Boris Buden, Constanze Fischbeck and other colleagues and students at HfG Karlsruhe who made the workshop possible and the visit pleasant, to Felix Mittelberger, Clara Runge, Berd Linterman and Dan Wilcox at ZKM for access and orientation on the ZKM archives and ongoing artistic research involving artificial intelligence being carried out at Hertzlab, and NTNU for providing the research context from which this workshop emerged.
Event: A design fiction workshop held at and with students of The Karlsruhe Academy of Art and Design (HfG Karlsruhe)
Location: HfG Karlsruhe
Date: 03 - 07 June 2024
Subject: The workshop explored the concept of latent utopias through the orchestration of human – computer interaction and co-creation. Artificial intelligence was centered in the workshop process, for the shared notion of 'neural networks' that exists between humans and machine learning models, the augmentation AI provides for human creativity and ingenuity, the constant utopian hope humans place in a technologically advanced future (currently invested in AI) and the shared cognitive functioning of both human and artificial intelligence networks as 'probability engines'.
The workshop was grounded with reflective discourse on the concept of utopia and what it connotes through a design fiction exercise that took the premise of a design brief for a library of the future for Karlsruhe as a start off point. The impact of the use of generative AI art within this exercise was also be reviewed, as was the idea of 'latent space' as a fuzzy probabilistic space from which humans and machines jointly fish for logic and inspiration.
Situated within the seminar - Digital condition and the Afterlife of the Analog Minds, as coordinated by Boris Buden, the workshop provided context for further reflection on the theme of the seminar through direct engagement with generative AI using a collaborative framework.
Catalyst-AI / Sophie Webber’s summary of Day 1
*Sophie Webber is the character / persona / catalyst role played by the Catalyst-AI assistant, a project management role that collaborated with the workshop fascilitator to drive the workshop process.
The first day of the Karlsruhe Library of the Future design workshop was productive, with each role group sharing initial concepts and priorities. The Dreamers envisioned an organic cloud-shaped building, emphasizing community. The Critics focused on sustainability and inclusiveness. The Realists developed budgets and timelines.
Discussions revealed synergies, like adaptive technology enabling an iconic, eco-friendly design. Challenges arose around balancing creative vision and meeting standards. I recommended addressing concerns, refining concepts and consolidating group objectives.
Key insights included: reusing existing structures; phasing in innovative elements; ensuring quiet, active, collaborative, and social spaces. Partnerships and additional funding require exploration. Community consultation will be key.
By day's end, a shared vision began emerging of a cultural landmark where technology, nature and society converge. However, significant work remains in developing an integrated design that achieves each ambitious goal. Creative thinking must continue while remaining grounded.
With facilitation, a productive exchange of ideas started between groups. A process emphasizing open discussion, alternative options, and revisting priorities as concepts progress will be crucial. Aligning objectives and building shared purpose are next steps.
Overall, positive momentum indicates the collaborative potential for this workshop if challenges of navigating pluralities and achieving coherence are met with patience, guidance, and a commitment to meeting stakeholders' diverse needs. A transformative yet pragmatic vision can be attained. But only through sustained partnership.
Outcome
The workshop outcome was captured as a video (see below) largely created together with AI (text, images, interpolated animated frames, text to speech, character profiles). The uber corporate PR language and style replete with buzz words reminiscent of 'green washing' was quite noticeable as a pointer to how AI systems may by tend towards cliches based on the 'tropes' the context they are fed with seem to fit into.
In our case we only pushed back slightly and generally went with the flow given time constraints and the more pertinent requirement to get a feel for how useful the AI assistance could be in keeping the brainstorming going, in practice however, biases and cliches can be dialed down in the metaprompts (pre-prompts) and other system prompts incorporated into the development of the AI assistant application.
future library final version.movRead more about Catalyst-AI, the experimental tooling created and deployed during the workshop