Vincenzo Fiore Marrese

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Artistic Research

Creating a New Language: Impossible. (et vous êtes)

Abstract

I'm developing artistic research using Artificial Intelligence Software. The current outcome is an artwork with science fiction storytelling, distinct from a typical science fiction narration, and two symbolic pictures about life and death. It appears in the form of a printed book, file and video. The title comes partially from Philip K. Dick's biography, and the theme is related to Karel Čapek, two science fiction classics authors. I am working with AI-powered chatbots. The problem for me is that this kind of software interacts by imitating human language. This attitude of imitation impacted Western art for a long time. Then, it was challenging for me to work with a language-imitating tool. I asked the chatbot to create a new language to break the imitation effect. The theme is at the intersection of imitation and sympathy through technologies and social implications.

An Artistic Research with Artificial Intelligence

The first artistic research I developed using Artificial Intelligence Software is "Creating a New Language: Impossible. (et vous êtes)".

According to the Joint Research Centre's report "Defining Artificial Intelligence 2.0.", we don't have a standard definition of Artificial Intelligence[note 1]. Indeed, as the report stresses, human intelligence is hard to define, and sometimes to practically develop AI, there is a need to oversimplify the broad concept of intelligence[note 2].

From a engineer's point of view, it is about how machines can show intelligent behaviour, as argued by Wolfgang Ertel[note 3].

Outcome

The current outcome is an artwork with science fiction storytelling, distinct from a typical science fiction narration, and two symbolic pictures about life and death. It appears in the form of a printed book, file and video.

The title

Accordingly, I chose the title keeping in mind a Philip K. Dick biography, namely "Je suis vivant et vous êtes morts" ("I Am Alive and You are Dead") by Emmanuel Carrère[note 4].

Dick is a singular science fiction author[note 5]. Likewise, the biography title suggests a thought-provoking idea that can fit the theme of this work, playing with hypotheses around AI status.

An Artistic Research with ChatGPT

The AI-powered software I used is called ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI[note 6]. I chose a chatbot to have a fast-access interface to AI software.

According to Masood Ghayoomi, the word "chatbot" comes from "chatterbot", coined by Michael Loren Mauldin[note 7], from the term "verbot" as "talking robot"[note 8].

For the present research, it is fascinating to note that the term "robot" was coined by an artist, Joseph Čapek[note 9], and spread in scient-fiction[note 10] by Karel Čapek's novel in 1921[note 11] with a social-related meaning[note 12].

Imitating human language

The problem for me is that this kind of software interacts by imitating human language.

This attitude of imitation (namely, mimesis) impacted Western art for a long time[note 13]. Then, it was challenging for me to work with a language-imitation tool.

Yet, indeed, that's the point: you can interact fast due to the use of language as a means of interaction.

Driving sympathy

However, there is another side of the coin. The imitation ability of the chatbot is so good that it can drive sympathy (namely, empathy), which could have unexpected social effects, according to Sophie Bushwick[note 14].

The intersection of imitation and sympathy

So "Creating a New Language: Impossible. (et vous êtes)" is at the intersection of imitation and sympathy.

I don’t consider the chatbot a subject

To briefly describe the process of the work, I use sentences like "I asked the chatbot" or "the chatbot answered". It is this use of the language which could drive sympathy for the software, as argued by Douglas R. Hofstadter[note 15]. However, according to the present technology[note 16], I don't consider the chatbot a subject. Yet I consider these sentences appropriate since the chatbot is a conversational tool.

Chatting in binary code

So, to interrupt this imitation effect, I first asked the chatbot to talk in binary code.

An artificial language based on existing patterns and structures

Then I changed my mind. I asked the chatbot to create a brand-new language. The chatbot has not this ability. Indeed, it automatically named our chat "Creating a New Language: Impossible." Consequently, I asked: "Generate a sample of artificial language based on existing patterns and structures found in English". It was able to do that. It started to shape grammar.

Sintalish

It decided to call this new language "Sintalish". It said that those name "was intended to be easy to pronounce and remember for English speakers, while also sounding distinct and unique".

Science-fiction

Then, I asked the chatbot to write a book about an "AI that generates an artificial language" written in Sintalish. The process was sometimes confusing when asking to translate from Sintalish to English. Then it introduces a character out of the blue called "Pafyz" and the name of another language called "Filak". By the way, in the end, it wrote six chapters.

The artwork presents the Sintalish text. Then it is possible to have access to the English translation online.

I put the English translation apart to clarify my artistic intention. My purpose is not to create a narrative book written by an AI. This kind of aim involves philosophical reflections about the author's role in an artwork creation and social issues about the condition of cultural workers. These are relevant themes but not the focus of my intention. However, since the outcome shows an intersection between the artwork and science-fiction narration, I found it pertinent to provide the English translation.

Shapes of life and death

Meanwhile, I asked the chatbot to generate shapes by writing code for vector images. I used this kind of code-generated shape in a previous work called "Symbiotic violence". First, I tried asking about objects' shapes as an apple or a bird. Then I tried "concept shapes". It was able to produce the shape of life. It did it like a symbol, along with a detailed explanation. It refused to do the same with the concept of death. However, I called "death" "the end of life", and it agreed to create a shape of it.

An open-access artwork

Along with the text narration, the life and death shapes, and some quotes from our chat, I made the artwork "Creating a New Language: Impossible. (et vous êtes)". It is a physical object and an open-access artwork that you can download.

Plagiarism and Rights Disclaimer

I checked the content generated by ChatGPT with plagiarism detection software. I checked the images generated by the SVG code provided by ChatGPT with Google Lens for visual matches. Although there are simple shapes that can have similitudes with other simple shapes, I cannot find a unique match. I provided the input, and according to OpenAI Terms of Use, I retain the rights to use the output[note 17].

Bibliography
  1. Abu Shawar Bayan, Mohammad Amin Kuhail, and Rawad Hammad ed. Trends, Applications, and Challenges of Chatbot Technology. Hershey: IGI Global, 2023.
  2. Acemoglu, Daron. "Harms of AI." Forthcoming, Oxford Handbook of AI Governance. MIT, Department of Economics, Publications (August 2021). https://economics.mit.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Harms%20of%20AI.pdf
  3. Brown, Malcom. Plato's Meno. With essays. Translated by W.K.C. Guthrie. Indianapolis New York: The Bobbs-Merill Company, Inc. 1971
  4. Bushwick, Sophie, Kelso Harper and Tulika Bose. "What You Need to Know about GPT-4." Scientific American (April 14, 2023), https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/what-you-need-to-know-about-gpt-4/.
  5. Carrère, Emmanuel. Je suis vivant et vous êtes morts. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1993.
  6. Centini, Massimo. La sindrome di Prometeo, Milano: Rusconi Libri s.r.l., 1999.
  7. Ertel, Wolfgang. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence. Translated by Nathanael Black. 2nd Edition. Cham: pringer International Publishing AG, 2017.
  8. European Commission, and Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology. Artificial Intelligence for Europe. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. European Commission: Brussels, 2018. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2018:237:FIN
  9. Hofstadter, Douglas R. Concetti fluidi e analogie creative. translated by Massimo Corbò, Isabella Giberti, and Maurizio Codogno. Milano: Adelphi, 1996.
  10. Mauldin, Michael Loren. "ChatterBots, TinyMuds, and the Turing Test. Entering the Loebner Prize Competition." Proceedings of the twelfth national conference on Artificial intelligence, vol 1 (October 1994): 16-21.
  11. Margolius, Ivan. "The Robot of Prague." The Friends of Czech Heritage - Newsletter, 17 (Autumn 2017).
  12. OpenAI. "Introducing ChatGPT." Accessed April 25, 2023. https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt
  13. Plato. Republic. Translated by Allan Bloom. 2nd ed. New York: Basic Books, 1991.
  14. Russell, Stuart J., Peter Norvig, Ernest Davis, Douglas D. Edwards, David Forsyth, Nicholas J. Hay, Jitendra M. Malik, Vibhu Mittal, Mehran Sahami, and Sebastian Thrun. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. 3rd ed. Malaysia: Pearson Education Limited, 2016.
  15. Samoili Sofia, Montserrat Lopez Cobo, Blagoj Delipetrev, Fernando Martinez-Plumed, Emilia Gomez, and Giuditta De Prato, Defining Artificial Intelligence 2.0. Towards an operational definition and taxonomy for the AI landscape. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2021. http://doi:10.2760/019901
  16. Sontag, Susan. Against Interpretation. Reprinted. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1969.
  17. Stableford, Brian. Science Fact and Science Fiction. An Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge, 2006.
Notes
  1. Samoili et. al., Defining Artificial Intelligence 2.0..back to the text
  2. Samoili et. al., Defining Artificial Intelligence 2.0..back to the text
  3. Ertel, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, 1.back to the text
  4. Carrère, Je suis vivant et vous êtes morts.back to the text
  5. Stableford, Science Fact and Science Fiction, 127-128.back to the text
  6. OpenAI.back to the text
  7. Mauldin, "ChatterBots, TinyMuds, and the Turing Test,".back to the text
  8. Ghayoomi Masood, "Applications of Chatbots in Education," in Bayan et al., Trends, Applications, and Challenges of Chatbot Technology, 81.back to the text
  9. Margolius, "The Robot of Prague," 6.back to the text
  10. Stableford, Science Fact and Science Fiction, 443.back to the text
  11. Stableford, Science Fact and Science Fiction, 442.back to the text
  12. Stableford, Science Fact and Science Fiction, 442.back to the text
  13. Sontag, Against Interpretation, 13-14.back to the text
  14. Bushwick et. al., "What You Need to Know about GPT-4."back to the text
  15. Hofstadter, Concetti fluidi e analogie creative, 172-174.back to the text
  16. Collier, "What is consciousness? ChatGPT and advanced AI might redefine our answer."back to the text
  17. OpenAI. "Terms of use." Accessed May, 3, 2023. https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-useback to the text

Vincenzo Fiore Marrese, Email: vincenzo@vfmarrese.com, Phone: +4916093806471, Website: www.vfmarrese.com, Instagram: @vfmarrese, Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his