Refik Anadol, an artist known for his technological installations, has opened Dataland, a downtown Los Angeles gallery he cofounded with Efsun Erkılıç. Billed as the first 'museum of AI arts,' the space welcomed more than 10,000 visitors to its opening exhibit in the first two weeks. The gallery's centerpiece, Machine Dreams: Rainforest, is Anadol's most ambitious project to date, blending interactive digital displays with biometric data to create shifting images and soundscapes. Anadol emphasizes that Dataland's focus on ethical practices and environmental responsibility is essential to redefining AI art, which many critics view as a nonstarter due to the prevalence of generative 'slop' in visual media. Anadol acknowledges the skepticism but believes the gallery offers a compelling alternative to the current landscape of AI-generated content. Source: wired

Anadol's Large Nature Model, an AI system built using natural science archives from institutions like the Smithsonian, forms the foundation of the immersive experience. The model was trained on 5 petabytes of raw data collected from the Amazon and other rainforests, with the consent and participation of researchers. This approach contrasts with Silicon Valley's major AI firms, which have faced backlash for unlicensed data use. Anadol also highlights that Google DeepMind provided experimental low-energy resources, allowing Dataland to run on Google Cloud while maintaining sustainable compute. His collaboration with Google began in 2016 when he became the first recipient of the Google Artists and Machine Intelligence Artist Residency. Source: wired

The gallery's interactive exhibits, such as Machine Dreams: Rainforest, use wearable devices to track visitors' movements and biometric data, creating a dynamic environment that responds in real time. Visitors receive a smartwatch and a U-shaped collar that calibrate to emit scents, sounds, and visual effects. The exhibit's effects are influenced by the movements of all individuals in the room, with paths of droplets shifting based on visitor actions. Anadol aims to demonstrate that AI can unlock new modes of artistic engagement, emphasizing that the experience is impossible to record. He also notes that the gallery treats data with respect, ensuring it is forgotten upon exit, contrasting with the invasive surveillance norms in the broader world. Source: wired

Source: wired