SOCIAL PROPAGANDA NETWORK
The live installation HYPERMATICS detects the behavior of automated profiles of social bots on Twitter and releases them via robots into the real world. As it happens online, the false personality algorithms start using their new bodies instantly to track passers-by on the showground and burst into discussion groups with aggressive political advertising. The project reflects these occurrences in social networks and questions our interaction with artificially intelligent chatbots. The goal is to draw attention to a new means of expression. In my research, I found out that many users still assume that social networks are an authentic communication space. The installation enables visitors to perceive the abstract network reality from an alternative point of view. Besides, there are already some developments in the field of telepresence robots, so real social robots may not be such a distant development?

Occasion: BA Thesis/Hypermatics, Department Design/Timebased Media at HAW Hamburg
Concept, Design and Construction: Annette Schmid
Supervision: Prof. Almut Schneider/Timebased Media and Prof. Dr. Anke Haarmann/Center for Design Research
Thanks to Tabea Wilke and Botswatch for algorithmic support in finding artificial intelligent social bots on twitter