Automation and Empathy: Can We Finally Replace All Artistic Performers with Machines? (38c3)

In this talk, artist and robotic musician Moritz Simon Geist explores whether robots and avatars can establish an emotional connection with a human audience, and examines the implications this has for arts and culture. Algorithms and machines are transforming how artworks are produced - but can they replicate the complex psychosocial capacity of empathy in performative arts like music and theater? Moritz offers an example-based overview of the history of non-human performers in the arts and shares current state-of-the-art projects in this field. He discusses his personal journey of combining engineering with art, highlighting projects like the "MR-808 Drum Robot" and automated installations like "Don't Look at Me." Through these works, he examines how robotic performers impact audience perception and emotional engagement. The talk asks critical questions: How do machines alter the psychosocial dynamics of performance? What are the minimal structures needed to evoke an empathetic response from the audience? How does the concept of the Uncanny Valley, as proposed by Masahiro Mori, influence our reactions to non-human performers? So - can we automate empathy? Let's find out! Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 about this event: https://events.ccc.de/congress/2024/hub/event/automation-and-empathy-can-we-finally-replace-all-artistic-performers-with-machines/