Artist’s Statement

Living with ORBiE helps me think about what it means to be human. For one thing, to be a human is to be a meaning-making machine. I find that even in these early stages, with simple interactions based on a computer program from 1967, I find myself more able to create meaning from our exchanges than I expected. Do you?

With ORBiE, for now, it’s clear that all the meaning-making happens in my head. Replies are only loosely based on the context of what I’ve said, and are designed to reflect my intention back to me. I wonder how things will feel when I give ORBiE more modern algorithms to play with. I wonder what algorithms I play with.

Open the desk drawer to see the control code. 

Data Collection

The switch on the face of the Z-19 terminal controls consent for data collection, and the red LED on the same panel indicates whether or not data is being collected.

When the switch is ON

When the switch is on, all keyboard inputs are logged. DO NOT ENTER PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION. ORBiE’s in-body camera takes a photo once every few character inputs. The camera is covered by a light-scattering film, which anonymizes images physically before the light even hits the camera sensor. Below is a frame from the resulting composite video.

When the switch is OFF

When the switch is off, the number of key-presses and their timing is logged, but information about which keys were pressed is not logged. ORBiE’s in-body camera does not take photos. Below is a frame from the resulting composite video.