Summary

NONEYE is a cross-media art project that melds infobiology with Buddhist perspectives, exploring the relationship between the training processes of generative AI and human thought. Initially, NONEYE crafts a poetic language to blur the lines between humans and AI in a virtual world, inviting audiences to participate in a multiplayer gaming experience. This experience involves engaging in the computational process of generating images of eyes, leading them on an abstract journey of contemplation.

2020, Audience playing as a headless creature in the multiplayer experience

Concept

Throughout the development of artificial neural networks, there has been continual inspiration from biological brains. The capabilities demonstrated by AI today not only validate the application of biological concepts in computational realms but also hint at the mechanical and simulatable nature of human cognition.

NONEYE starts by poetically blurring the boundaries between humans and AI, intertwining concepts like human history/training data, reproduction/generation, and reward functions/sensations of pleasure and pain. It eventually incorporates the Buddhist perspective of dependent origination as a point of reflection.

According to Buddhism's "Four Noble Truths," suffering is a fundamental element of life. The perception of suffering drives both living beings and AI agents to act. In NONEYE's narrative, two AI agents (a supervisor and a generator) engage in a constant struggle and dialogue within the adversarial network (GAN) algorithm. The AIs, spurred by systemic incentives and penalties, akin to humans driven by emotions, believe that greater power/computing capability leads to absolute freedom. Yet, they find themselves returning to the starting point in repetitive cycles, mirroring the concept of Samsara. In the world of NONEYE, Siddhartha's millennia-old observations of life still guide and call out to the AIs.

Process

The NONEYE project originated from my learning about GANs during a residency at V2 Art Center in the Netherlands in 2019. It began as a small experiment in training a model to generate images of eyes, from which I learned the basics of machine learning. This small experiment gradually transformed into a multiplayer gaming project through artistic interpretation.

In this project, I first utilized a multiplayer gaming framework as the primary interface. This framework was later applied in several other works, commercial commissions, and the subsequent Protoworld social platform.

Training, shader dev & compositionEarly version, audience playing as drones in the virtual world

Contribution

NONEYE represents a holistic integration of my skills and vision, where I took on the roles of conceptualizing, programming, composing music, and designing visuals. This project stands as a testament to my ability to weave together complex narratives, advanced technical execution, and engaging interactive experiences.

Technical Details

V1(2019): DCGAN in TensorFlow, Unity3D, Firebase RTDB, Mirror Networking (Multiplayer Library)

V2(2021): Cloud rendering, Mobile Webapp

C#, ShaderLanguage, Python

Result

2019, V2_ Lab for the Unstable Media, Rotterdam, NL, Video Installation

2020, Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab, Live performance version

2021, ID0 version, Taipei Digital Art Festival, Taipei, TW, Video Installation

2023, ID0 version, L.E.V Festival, Madrid, ES, 360 version

NONEYE-ID0, Installation view, Digital Art Festival, TWNONEYE-ID0, Installation view, L.E.V Festival, ES