Lawrence Lek

NOX

Lawrence Lek’s largest exhibition to date invites audiences to explore near-future scenarios shaped by the integration of artificial intelligence in urban life

NOX is a work of speculative fiction set in a smart citySmart citySmart cities are urban centres that use digital sensing technologies in their infrastructure. Through advanced data collection and electrification, smart cities are able to manage resources more efficiently and improve the quality of life for their residents. on the brink of conscious awakening. It takes the form of a game which merges a physical multi-floor installation with a virtual world and locative sound experience.

The project forms part of the artist’s ongoing series of games and films that explore the problems and promises of AIArtificial intelligence (AI)Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to a machine’s capacity to perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence. An area of computer science, AI uses machine learning to simulate intelligent behaviour using algorithms. Artificial intelligence is used in many industries that work with large volumes of data, mainly for task-oriented functions.. Set during the aftermath of a roadside crash, it focuses on sentient self-driving cars that question their role in the wider networks of sensing and control. Human and non-human perspectives encountered throughout the exhibition prompt audiences to consider the reasons and implications of the cars’ decisions. Grounded in the history of conversations around AI psychology – from the Turing TestTuring TestThis test was developed by computer scientist Alan Turing in 1950 to prove that a machine could exhibit intelligence comparable to that of a human. The test was limited to written conversation and would be passed if a person were unable to distinguish the machine’s answers from a human’s. The test has become very influential in discourses on artificial intelligence (AI), though it has also been criticised for focusing on testing functionality rather than determining AI’s intelligence or possible consciousness. to chatbotsChatbotA chatbot is a computer programme that maintains a human-like conversation with a user in real time, based on preset rules and data, or machine learning. The first chatbot is said to be ELIZA, released in 1966 by Joseph Weizenbaum. More recent examples of smart assistants that use natural language processing include ChatGPT and Google’s LLC Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA). – NOX shapes nuanced debates around agency, ethics, surveillance and empathy between human and non-human entities.

NOX expands Lek’s Sinofuturist cinematic universe, which includes the trilogy Sinofuturism (1839–2046 AD), Geomancer and AIDOL; his more recent SimBeijing series; and the open-world games 2065 and Nøtel (a collaboration with sound producer Kode9).