Imprinting Empathy: Art, AI and Fungi with Bianca Tainsh

This week we chat with open-disciplinary artist Bianca Tainsh about all things Art, AI and fungi, and go behind-the-scenes to explore Bianca’s current work-in-progress, Imprinting Empathy, which asks: How might art and technology manifest an intimate process of interspecies connection with humans, and can an artificial intelligence learn to care and generate empathy by facilitating this nuanced entanglement? Can empathy be imprinted onto an AI through relational experience and guidance, as it is onto humans? …and just what exactly is ‘Bush Turkey Tea’?Engaging audiences in Australia and beyond, Bianca Tainsh is an award-winning artist renowned for her ground-breaking work that transcends traditional artistic borders. In her latest project, Bianca has ventured into dynamic collaborations with scientists, yielding innovative projects like Myc-a — a symbiotic body of flora and fauna connected by a network of mycorrhizal fungi: a paragon for diversity and mutuality. In her latest work, Imprinting Empathy, Bianca contemplates our very timely, very human fears about how AI will ‘behave’ as it continues its startling emergence into all aspects of human life. Find out more about Imprinting Empathy on Bianca’s website. You can support Bianca’s work through her crowdfunding campaign via the Australian Cultural Fund. Her project is called Imprinting Empathy, and, as of July 2024, the campaign is 86% funded! Also, check out Bianca’s TEDx talk - Art: Creating unique spaces for social transformation and follow @bianca.tainsh on Instagram and Facebook.This episode is themed around our current edition, The Underground and is hosted by Bianca Millroy, an emerging science writer, freelance editor, and PhD student based in Brisbane/Meanjin.  The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.Listen on-the-go on Google Podcasts (soon to be YouTube Music), Apple and Spotify now!You can also find and follow us online on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide. Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.