Meat Computer
Liv Beruti
Artificial intelligence derives its power from concealment. Beneath complex algorithms and neural networks, AI feeds on decades of human data, inheriting our biases and prioritizing the opinion of the majority as Truth. Behind this veil, we discover a tool that echoes the crude imperfection of its creators.
Each culture and period create their own monsters, inseparable from the prevailing zeitgeist. These figures caution us about the perils of their time, forcing us to recognize the menace within ourselves. Informed by the grotesque and its visual history, Meat Computer attempts to portray the prejudice embedded in AI. By conjoining human features with computational elements in unsettling ways, it illustrates how humanity permeates the surfaces of AI. A keyboard composed of a tongue and teeth, a mouse encased in an anatomical heart, a charging cable modeled after an umbilical cord—each element highlights the inescapable human presence within AI-generated outcomes.
When in use, the computer mimics CAPTCHA and facial recognition software by creating a digital portrait of the user, emphasizing their role in perpetuating computational biases. This project challenges the perception of AI’s supposed moral superiority and objectivity, encouraging deeper reflection on its conscious use.
Paired with an article on open-source software, Meat Computer advocates for a more critical approach to AI technologies and underscores the importance of transparency in their development and application.