Simulated Selves by Svenja Kratz and Bill Hart explores the philosophical and creative implications of AI-generated doubles, examining questions of identity, creativity, and the boundaries between human and machine. At its core, the project features AI avatars that simulate the artists’ personalities, knowledge, and conversational styles, encouraging audiences to reflect on the possibilities and limitations of creating a digital self that could act as an enduring substitute or archive.

The installation includes two seated sculptures with lifelike casts of the artists’ heads and screens displaying animated avatars that mimic their expressions and speech. These avatars, created using technologies like Unreal Engine, MetaHuman, and ElevenLabs, engage in call-and-response conversations, discussing themes such as creativity, the nature of machine intelligence, and the potential for digital life extension. Visitors interact with the avatars via a modified telephone interface, asking questions that trigger responses drawn from a blend of recorded conversations, philosophical reflections, and AI-generated language models.

In addition to the primary avatars, the installation features an array of other AI-driven simulations, including faux windows, ambient music generated through AI, and a video fishtank that simulates aquatic life. These elements enhance the immersive environment, layering multiple forms of artificial simulation to underscore the project’s exploration of hyperreality and the blurring of real and simulation through AI.