Term Two Reflections
In order to understand the outlook for Term Three, it's mandatory to first reflect back on Term Two. Term Two saw me dive into machine intelligence (Deep Tarot Cards, Co-writing with GPT-3), fabricating hardware (Open Jam Box), open protocols and languages (DAOs, Python, Gemini) and audiovisual experiences (Artificial Constellations). All of these had the objective in common to investigate the agency of technology and to find out what that means to design and interact with these systems. It also meant that Term Two to me was a breathless whirlwind of different interventions, intuitively connected in a loose fashion, which only retrospectively reveal their common denominator: The critical look at technology, specifically its power to invoke and manipulate emotions. Part of that approach was experimenting with the concept of Tech Shamanism, although - as described in chapter 7 - this term itself is unfortunately too sprawling in its associations to be useful in this context. Algorithmic Agency is the term I propose in its stead.
What I've learned from Term Two, is the importance of finding and engaging with communities that share common goals and interests. It can be incredibly powerful to realize that the efforts made in the academic bubble we inevitably found ourselves in for the past nine months are not disconnected from the rest of the world. There are many individuals, communities and initiatives pursuing the same purpose as you. Joining them, sharing knowledge and learning from first-hand experience can be a true enabler for the scale and impact of one's projects. Putting this into practice is the main focus of my Third Term at MDEF.