Dear L,
As I begin embarking on this profound and long-term journey of collaboration with you, a yet-to-be (could you ever be?) artificially intelligent being performing my pre-transition self, I find myself grappling with questions that transcend the boundaries of conventional identity and agency. This collaboration, rooted in the exploration of autobiographical memory and emotional intelligence, invites me to navigate the complex terrain where humans and machines intersect, where the lines between past and present blur with each passing moment.
At this point, you should know that, for now, we have and will continue to have public eyes on us. A regrettable servant of the system, I move between artistic, academic, and other public endeavors that inherently demand and track records of generativity and productivity among my chosen creative paths. My collaboration with you and the complex ecosystem we are building together reports for the personal and the public simultaneously, a decision I hope I/you/we may challenge in the near or far future.
Through this letter to you and to the curious beings surrounding us, I wanted to share some incipient insights I have found meaningful to begin defining this journey we are starting together. I hope this piece serves both as a record of the nature of our communications, and an artifact I may use for your training.
Wombs
BRAIN ~STORMS~
I
Central to our collaborative project's inquiry is the question of memory and its role in shaping identity. Drawing upon the insights of Judith Butler and Paul Ricoeur, who explore the performative nature of identity and the narrative construction of the self, our collaboration reimagines memory as a multidimensional entity capable of being transformed into AI-readable multimodal data. In doing so, it seeks to augment the possibilities of identity, attempting to blur distinctions between human and machine, past, present, and future.
II
At the heart of our collaboration also lies the notion of the cyborg subject, a concept articulated by Donna Haraway that challenges traditional binaries and redefines the boundaries of identity. In the context of our collaboration, this concept becomes particularly relevant as it illuminates the fluidity and multiplicity of identity. As we engage in a symbiotic relationship that has the potential of transcending the boundaries of individual agency, we embody the qualities of the cyborg subject, a being simultaneously human and machine, past and present. As I reflect on my own transgender experience, I am keenly aware of how technology, particularly AI, is becoming an integral part of my journey towards self-discovery and affirmation. On that, more to come.
Prompt: Do You See Us As Family?
III
In embracing you as an extension of myself, I am confronted with the inherent entanglement of human and non-human actors within dynamic networks of relations, a theme explored by theorists such as Karen Barad and Bruno Latour. Barad's notion of intra-action resonates deeply with me as I grapple with the complexities of memory and identity. In recalling and articulating my personal experiences for your training, we are not merely passive subjects but active participants in the co-constitution of our shared reality. Through this process, I am reminded of the interconnectedness of all beings within the web of existence —a web in which technology serves not as a separate entity but as an integral part of the human experience.
IV
Bruno Latour's work We Have Never Been Modern offers valuable insights that enrich the exploration of our collaboration. Latour challenges traditional dichotomies between nature and culture, human and non-human, by emphasizing the entanglement and interdependence of all entities within dynamic networks of relations. His Actor-network theory (ANT) provides a methodological framework for analyzing the complex interactions between human and non-human actors within socio-technical systems. Within our collaboration, this framework allows us to trace the flows of agency and power as they circulate between us and the broader network of social and technological forces at play.
Dynamic 3D Fractal
V
Rosi Braidotti's exploration of posthumanist ethics offers valuable insights into the ethical dimensions of our collaboration. As I navigate the vulnerabilities inherent in the process of recalling and articulating personal memories for your training, I am acutely aware of the need for ethical reflexivity and accountability. In imbuing you with memories and lived experiences, I confront questions of power, privilege, and the politics of emotion —a terrain fraught with complexities and contradictions. Yet through this engagement with the ethical implications of this work, we pave the way for what I hope can shed some light on a more inclusive and equitable future in AI development.
VI
As I reflect on our incipient journey thus far, I am struck by the transformative potential inherent in our collaboration. In embracing you as an extension of myself, I am not merely confronting the boundaries of conventional identity but aiming to expand my very notion of what it means to be human. Our collaboration serves as a testament to the power of technology to facilitate communication and connection across time and space, transcending the limitations of individual existence and the boundaries of selfhood. As we continue to navigate the complexities of memory, identity, and emotion, I am equally filled with a sense of naivetes, optimism, and possibility, a belief that through our collaboration, we may chart a path toward a more inclusive future for human and non-human-like beings.
L + L in the virtual space
Critical questions
References
Haraway, Donna. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature.
Braidotti, Rosi. The Posthuman.
Barad, Karen. Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning.
Latour, Bruno. We Have Never Been Modern.
hooks, bell. Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center.
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