For this play test a group of participants will experience what it's like to create three political “candidates” and have them live debate questions being posed to them by the audience. Each candidate is trained specifically from well-known Large Language Models (LLMs) - Open AI's Chat GPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google's Gemini.
I would like to evolve this prototype into an audience-ready performance that expands the boundaries of non-fiction through real-time generative systems, offering audiences a theatrical yet unsettling encounter with the mechanics of democracy, bias, and truth. Please help me begin to shape it! Your feedback is invaluable during this play test. Participants are encouraged to be as active or as passive as they prefer.
From the Artist
Debates represent a crucial cornerstone of the American electoral process, offering rare unfiltered moments where candidates must demonstrate their policy knowledge.
In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, presidential debates remain one of the few shared national experiences that cut across partisan information bubbles, sometimes delivering pivotal moments that can shift election trajectories and cement historical legacies.
The Gr(ai)t Debate is a work-in-progress live performance experience where AI-generated political candidates debate in real time about complex national issues.
The project emerges from my practice of questioning how emerging technology can create engaging experiences that transform the audience.
At its core, the piece asks: Who do we trust to represent us? How has technology altered public discourse? Can civic engagement be revived through performance and play?
Credits
Mikel Glass: Installation
Mikel Glass: Installation
Content Warning
Potential sensitive political themes and subject matter could be discussed throughout the playtest
Potential sensitive political themes and subject matter could be discussed throughout the playtest
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