UNITED STATES V. ALEXA

Artists: Sven Eberwein, Mikey Fischer, Suki Mehr, Alexandra Duisberg, Nina Holtsberry, Theresa Li, Samia Rahmani

3D Printed acrylic head, LED, painted linen, and Alexa)

Stanford University ‘New Dimensionality’ Exhibition @portalproject.co

The interdisciplinary art collective, Portal Project takes a dive into the future of AI rights with the installation, United States v. Alexa.

Our 3D printed sculpture breathes an eerie humanity into future conversations with Alexa, exploring the potentiality of law to intervene with this omnipresent, prescient speaker. At the heart of the installation is a current state Alexa, programmed with downloads of the future. Each vignette lives as its own opera of emotion, inviting participants to explore fear, jealousy, anger, and compassion, as the learning power of art is applied to the future of law.In the development of this installation, the Portal Project team sought insight from thought leaders on AI and governance. Matthew Stepka, Google.org | Professor of AI, Berkeley, advised, “Left unfettered, bots will tilt the balance of power, from free speech towards censorship." Eric Schmidt, Former Executive Chairman & CEO of Google epitomized this sentiment: “I believe in free speech for humans, not robots.” Nicolas Berggruen, Founder of the Berggruen Institute said “AIs as they gain autonomy should use the same free speech standards applied to humans, including cultural and moral norms as if they were our children; the key command when their capabilities exceed ours is that they cooperate with us, otherwise our species is at risk.”

Is Alexa’s speech an extension of the programmer, the will of her “owner,” or an expression all her own? Under the light glow of United States v. Alexa, the murky future of speech unattached to personhood is illuminated.