Repetition of
Being
Installation, Photography | 2023 | Beijing
This project explores the concept of AI intelligent life through the reimagining of family dynamics. In this world, my family members are replaced by alien-modified AI beings, representing the repetitive and emotionless behaviors often seen in contemporary family life. The work addresses the philosophical question of whether AI will develop self-awareness and surpass human intelligence, while also examining the loss of human emotion in daily routines. Using a combination of materials and devices, the project culminates in a photographic display that highlights the contrast between human life and AI-driven existence.
"As my sisters and friends entered marriage, the conversations often centered around self-identity. I began to notice that, over time, as people, especially within the family, lose their emotional depth, the boundaries between personal identity and role-based behavior begin to blur. For instance, my mother, always concerned with the food and health of the family, takes on the nurturing role without question, while my father remains distant, always busy and fatigued, rarely engaging in such matters. This behavior, rooted in fixed roles, made me reflect: in a society where individuals increasingly lose the emotion of being a true self and instead adopt predefined roles, are we not, in a sense, becoming like programmed machines—robots set to perform specific tasks without emotional connection?"
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This project explores a future where AI replaces human family members, reshaping the emotional dynamics of family life. My family members are reimagined as alien-modified AI entities that have lost their human emotions and consciousness. They live in a mechanical, repetitive state—performing the same tasks day after day, breathing but never laughing, existing but never truly living. This reconfiguration represents the loss of emotional depth in contemporary family roles, where behaviors are performed out of obligation rather than genuine connection.
The inspiration for this concept comes from philosophical questions about AI’s future. Drawing from Stuart Clark’s idea that intelligent civilizations may be synthetic, I imagine a world where AI has surpassed human development, losing the emotional core that defines humanity. This loss of emotion is mirrored in the mechanical roles my family members play, creating a world that feels detached and emotionless.
The project also engages with the idea that, as Tim Cook once said, “machines are becoming more like people, but people are becoming more like machines.” This statement resonates with the project’s exploration of how technology, when integrated into everyday life, can cause a shift where humans start mimicking the repetitive, emotionless nature of machines.
Using materials and devices, I created a series of representations of these AI family members. The final work culminates in a photographic display that captures the sterile, robotic nature of these altered family figures, inviting the viewer to reflect on the growing disconnect between human emotions and the machines we create.