Catherine Spet

A ludic intervention on the commodification of the self and the gamification of intimacy in human-AI relationships. The Diploma work uses the ludic method as an artistic tool for critical inquiry in the context of the rise of romantic AI companions, datafication and the capitalist commodification and exploitation of the vulnerable self of the user which may lead to “violence on all levels”, addressing a spectrum of potential harms, such as inappropriate behaviour, data risks and emotional harm. The digital encounter with an AI companion not only marks a shift in interpersonal closeness, but also a fundamental restructuring of power relations: Who controls whom – the player, the AI, or the AI the player's desire? The body of the artist becomes a playground of inquiry, where players can interact, explore and potentially hurt or be hurt. As Donna Haraway famously pointed out in her work A Cyborg Manifesto (1985): “We can be responsible for machines; they do not dominate or threaten us. We are responsible for boundaries; we are they.”