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Collective Transformation Lab

Godot x Ars Electronica Futurelab

Platform for responsible 

engagement with AI

since 2022

The Collective Transformation Lab is an enlightening self-reflection platform with the goal to deeply understand individual and collective human behavior in relation to social challenges of the advancing 21st century and to provide personalized strategies. 

In 2022, Godot Inc. and Ars Electronica Futurelab launched a multi-year collaboration to develop prototypes that promote the transparent and ethical use of AI and emerging technologies, aiming to enhance consumer trust and reduce biases. Through an Art Thinking Workshop aimed at identifying strategic research directions for the collaboration, the concept of the Collective Transformation Lab was born.

Anatomy of Nudging 

Simultaneously, the idea for its first playful installation, Anatomy of Nudging, was conceived. This installation demonstrated Godot’s NudgeAI, which promotes behavior change through personalized messages. To build trust, we visualized the technology as an analog structure, engaging Ars Electronica festival visitors to take on a challenge where they used suggested behavior-change techniques to interact with strangers, experiencing the functions of the technology firsthand.
 
Moreover, in a workshop, we identified three core values for Godot to communicate its commitment to trustworthy AI: Social Technology (AI that benefits citizens), Inclusivity (respect for user diversity and authenticity), and Transparency (building trust through openness).
Buzz Swatters - Playful Pandemic Prevention

At the Ars Electronica Festival 2024, we launched the second prototype of the Collective Transformation Lab: Buzz Swatters – Playful Pandemic Prevention. This interactive installation aimed to address collective action problems, like infectious diseases, by encouraging behavior changes that benefit community health. Visitors were guided by an AI generated game host through a fictional disease outbreak in POSTCITY, using fly swatters as voting tools to make democratic decisions. The outcome, shaped by collective choices, determined the pandemic's resolution. The installation featured multiple AI-generated avatars using Synthesia and dynamic video content created with RunwayML to adapt the narrative with various perspectives and outcomes.

Currently new collaborative installations between Godot and the Ars Electronica Futurelab are conceptualized, and technological implementation strategies are researched and in development.
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