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Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.00,0:00:14.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\i1}34C3 preroll music{\i0}
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.86,0:00:18.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Herald: And yeah, please give\Na warm welcome to Sebastian!
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.68,0:00:24.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\i1}applause{\i0}
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.79,0:00:28.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sebastian: Hi, and thank you for the\Nintroduction. Thank you all so much for
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.24,0:00:32.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,having me. So, what am I gonna\Ntalk about tonight? I will
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.21,0:00:36.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of course, being an artist, talk a bit\Nabout some art projects but mostly
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.14,0:00:41.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I will speak about the research I do\Nas part of my practice, specifically
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.55,0:00:47.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about humans as software extensions.\NAnd towards the end I will
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.22,0:00:51.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,share some thoughts on why being a human\Nsoftware extension could actually be
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.63,0:00:56.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,something maybe not positive but brings\Nsome new possibilities. So I will try to
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.81,0:01:05.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,end the talk on a positive note. In 2008,\Nthe science fiction movie "Sleep Dealer"
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.59,0:01:10.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,speculated about a future which couldn't\Nbe more timely. The border between Mexico
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.79,0:01:15.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the US has been closed. Therefore,\Nimmigrant workers in the US have been
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.91,0:01:21.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,replaced by robots. However, the robots\Nare remotely controlled by people in
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.58,0:01:28.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Mexico who have their bodies plugged\Ndirectly into the network. Then, 2 years
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.70,0:01:35.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,later, in 2010, the CEO of CrowdFlower,\Nwhich is a crowdsourcing and cloud work
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.21,0:01:41.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,platform, Lukas Biewald speaks of a\Nsimilar situation: "Before the Internet,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.27,0:01:46.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it would be really difficult to find\Nsomeone, sit them down for 10 minutes and
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.10,0:01:51.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,get them to work for you, and then fire\Nthem after those 10 minutes. But with
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.18,0:01:55.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,technology, you can actually find them,\Npay them the tiny amount of money, and
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.66,0:02:01.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then get rid of them when you don't need\Nthem anymore." Biewald's remarks, however,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:01.27,0:02:07.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are not Science Fiction. Instead, they\Ndescribe a contemporary condition. So,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.63,0:02:13.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,humans as software extensions: What is\Nthis condition? I would summarize it as
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.66,0:02:19.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people extending computational systems by\Noffering their bodies, their senses and
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.11,0:02:24.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their cognition. And specifically bodies\Nand minds that can be easily plugged in
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.94,0:02:30.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and later easily be discarded, so bodies\Nand minds algorithmically managed and
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.39,0:02:36.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,under the permanent pressure of constant\Navailability efficiency and perpetual self
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.39,0:02:43.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,optimization. So, as such, humans as\Nsoftware extensions are both, the
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.37,0:02:49.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,foundation and the result, of a mega\Nstructure which Benjamin Breton calls "The
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.21,0:02:55.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Stack". It's a computational totality of\Nplanetary scale so somehow we can imagine
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.11,0:03:01.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it as a planetary scale computer\Nconsisting of a stack of layers from rare
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.20,0:03:07.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,earth minerals to data centers to bots and\Npeople which in this model are exactly the
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.84,0:03:14.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,same. So, in this computational totality,\Neven the smallest nodes can be addressed
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.23,0:03:21.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and can be programmed. What The Stack also\Ndescribes is a new geography so Google
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.43,0:03:28.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maps defining borders or, as just seen in\NSleep Dealer, the US building a wall while
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.23,0:03:35.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,still being able to plug right into the\Nbodies of Mexican workers. But to be
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.21,0:03:42.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,clear, from my point of view, the model of\Nplanetary scale computation as a totality
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.48,0:03:48.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is as much a reality as it is also a\Ngigantic fantasy and ideology of power,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.66,0:03:53.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,optimization and efficiency. So this is\Nthe state of self-driving cars right now,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.42,0:04:00.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at least from the perspective of a Ford.\NSo I would now like to give some examples
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.89,0:04:05.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about what I mean by humans as software\Nextensions and what effects these, like,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.61,0:04:13.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this way of managing digital labor has. 3\Nyears ago, I worked on a piece in which I
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.04,0:04:18.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,explored digital colonialism and, among\Nother things, I explored Google's and
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.48,0:04:24.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Facebook's attempts to integrate into\Ntheir services those 2/3 of the world
Dialogue: 0,0:04:24.46,0:04:31.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,population who are not online, yet. As you\Nall know, Google wants to use balloons,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.07,0:04:37.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Facebook wants to use drones and they want\Nthem to circle above these areas that do
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.06,0:04:42.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not have any internet connection basically\Nsucking that which is below up into the
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.90,0:04:48.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,network. So the piece of which you see a\Nlittle bit here is called "How to Appear
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.19,0:04:54.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Offline Forever" and it consists of a mix\Nof found material like videos, images, and
Dialogue: 0,0:04:54.43,0:04:59.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,questions and there's also a layer of\Nstories written by people from Silicon
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.44,0:05:07.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Valley, Sri Lanka and Zambia which are all\Nlocations of importance to this piece. And
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.53,0:05:12.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so in order to get in contact with people\Nin Sri Lanka, I ended up using the
Dialogue: 0,0:05:12.92,0:05:18.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,outsourcing platform Upwork which offers a\Nhighly efficient interface for hiring
Dialogue: 0,0:05:18.44,0:05:24.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,freelancers from all around the world. On\Nthat platform, you can sort freelancers by
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.31,0:05:31.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,price, skills, rating and then you can\Npick whoever you think fits the job best.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.47,0:05:35.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And their user experience of hire and fire\Nis well crafted. So it's software
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.93,0:05:40.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,extensions that can be plugged in and\Nremoved again easily. It doesn't matter
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.21,0:05:53.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where they are, who they are as long as\Nthey get it done. So once the freelancers
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.56,0:05:59.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in Sri Lanka got to work I noticed that it\Nwas not only able but also encouraged to
Dialogue: 0,0:05:59.71,0:06:05.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,spy on them. Upwork records every\Nkeystroke and regularly takes screenshots
Dialogue: 0,0:06:05.87,0:06:11.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while freelancers work, building a growing\Ndiary of their activity. So I found myself
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.95,0:06:17.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a situation in which I wasn't only\Nbeing surveilled by corporations or
Dialogue: 0,0:06:17.03,0:06:23.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,states, I was also doing the same myself,\Nmanaging my extensions spying on them in
Dialogue: 0,0:06:23.66,0:06:29.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,order to monitor their performance. So\Nthis is not them, like corporations or
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.24,0:06:35.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,states, spying on us, us protecting\Nourselves against them through encryption.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:35.91,0:06:40.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is all of us fighting for our place\Nin the network trying to be valuable
Dialogue: 0,0:06:40.99,0:06:46.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,nodes. So this is me and one of the\Nfreelancers which is a very lovely lady I
Dialogue: 0,0:06:46.09,0:06:51.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,got to meet in Sri Lanka later. So if you\Nlook at this historically and if you go
Dialogue: 0,0:06:51.55,0:06:57.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,back just 15, maybe 20 years, outsourcing\Nvia the internet was a practice that could
Dialogue: 0,0:06:57.52,0:07:04.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,only be employed by big IT companies,\Nmostly from the US, India. Today it is
Dialogue: 0,0:07:04.15,0:07:11.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cheap and easy and it can be done by\Nanybody. A new service by Amazon called
Dialogue: 0,0:07:11.33,0:07:17.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Amazon Key illustrates this rather new\Nsituation perfectly. With Amazon Key, you
Dialogue: 0,0:07:17.98,0:07:24.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can remotely grant access to an apartment\Nwhile you're not at home using the Amazon
Dialogue: 0,0:07:24.01,0:07:31.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Key camera, lock and app, you can spy on\Nthe otherwise completely invisible workers
Dialogue: 0,0:07:31.20,0:07:41.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from your smartphone. So this is the lock\Nremotely unlocked. So here outsourcing
Dialogue: 0,0:07:41.40,0:07:49.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,doesn't generate free time. Instead, it is\Nborn out of necessity. It is marketed as
Dialogue: 0,0:07:49.13,0:07:54.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,making possible the transformation and a\Nliberation from being managed to also
Dialogue: 0,0:07:54.95,0:08:01.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,being able to manage others and, in this\Ncase, you're able to deal with them like
Dialogue: 0,0:08:01.31,0:08:07.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,without ever having to meet them in\Nperson. So now everybody, not only can but
Dialogue: 0,0:08:07.73,0:08:13.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has to, and actually, of course, wants to,\Nwe all want to use people as software
Dialogue: 0,0:08:13.07,0:08:18.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,extensions and with that comes also that\Nwe have to remotely track and rate their
Dialogue: 0,0:08:18.65,0:08:27.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,performance. So let's recap: Factory\Nworkers are extending machines with their
Dialogue: 0,0:08:27.60,0:08:32.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,bodies. Freelancers have escaped the\Nfactory but have to offer themselves as
Dialogue: 0,0:08:32.87,0:08:37.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,flexible extensions to the modern media\Nassembly line, for example like which I
Dialogue: 0,0:08:37.54,0:08:45.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,saw on Upwork. So now micro-entrepreneurs\Nhave to invent their own shops, offering
Dialogue: 0,0:08:45.16,0:08:52.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their creativity in the form of little\Npackages that are called gigs. You can buy
Dialogue: 0,0:08:52.20,0:08:59.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such gigs at a fixed price on platforms\Nlike Fiverr. For those who do not know
Dialogue: 0,0:08:59.73,0:09:06.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Fiverr: Initially each each gig on Fiverr\Nwas priced at exactly $5 of which the
Dialogue: 0,0:09:06.86,0:09:14.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,platform kept $1. So some months ago, I\Nfound a way to directly access all videos
Dialogue: 0,0:09:14.32,0:09:19.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,uploaded to the platform in real time,\Nincluding every single video that people
Dialogue: 0,0:09:19.39,0:09:25.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on Fiverr are producing for their clients.\NSo through this crack in the surface, or
Dialogue: 0,0:09:25.35,0:09:31.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you could also call it a security problem\Nor a privacy issue they have, I could look
Dialogue: 0,0:09:31.99,0:09:36.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the leaked stream of videos and I did\Nthis for days and weeks and months and I
Dialogue: 0,0:09:36.95,0:09:42.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,downloaded videos worth of like more than\N100 GB and I was looking for some patterns
Dialogue: 0,0:09:42.75,0:09:51.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to understand this marketplace. So to give\Nyou some ideas about what I saw there: On
Dialogue: 0,0:09:51.23,0:09:57.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the platform it is dog-eat-dog. Be the\Nbest the cheapest, the most creative, the
Dialogue: 0,0:09:57.80,0:10:03.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,most efficient, be just like a proper\Nsoftware extension. Never sleep, work all
Dialogue: 0,0:10:03.17,0:10:09.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the time. At the same time, everybody is\Nalso fighting against the platform's
Dialogue: 0,0:10:09.34,0:10:16.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,algorithms and clean interfaces that hide\Nmost gig workers on page 2, 3, 4 and so
Dialogue: 0,0:10:16.88,0:10:27.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on. As many gigs offer unrealistically\Nshort delivery times for creative work, it
Dialogue: 0,0:10:27.86,0:10:34.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,becomes clear that they themselves use\Nbots, generators and templates, simulating
Dialogue: 0,0:10:34.32,0:10:41.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,creative work and creating yet another\Nlayer of man-machine complexity. So using
Dialogue: 0,0:10:41.13,0:10:47.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,automation in order to not be replaced by\Nautomation. Their biggest selling point
Dialogue: 0,0:10:47.01,0:10:55.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,seems to be their low cost coupled with a\Ntruly natural interface: a human being. In
Dialogue: 0,0:10:55.28,0:11:01.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,contrast, there is another group of people\Nconsciously offering their bodies often as
Dialogue: 0,0:11:01.04,0:11:06.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,carriers of messages like screens. So\Nhere, the fantasy of the universal
Dialogue: 0,0:11:06.66,0:11:12.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,addressability and availability of all\Nnodes manifests itself in the distant and
Dialogue: 0,0:11:12.41,0:11:23.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,often exotic body that acts as a screen.\NThis goes hand in hand with gigs offering
Dialogue: 0,0:11:23.34,0:11:38.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,personal porn or erotic videos and fetish\Nvideos. So here, I would summarize: Being
Dialogue: 0,0:11:38.35,0:11:43.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a software extension on a hyper-\Ncompetitive platform fosters and demands
Dialogue: 0,0:11:43.89,0:11:49.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,something that I would call survival\Ncreativity, that means coming up with
Dialogue: 0,0:11:49.27,0:11:55.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,whatever it takes to survive in a\Ncompetitive environment. And as I
Dialogue: 0,0:11:55.54,0:12:00.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reminder, Fiverr might be an extreme\Nexample but it exemplifies a development
Dialogue: 0,0:12:00.91,0:12:08.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that has become a reality for many already\Nand it's not like it's them and us, we are
Dialogue: 0,0:12:08.40,0:12:17.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all human software extensions. So far I've\Nmanaged to talk about software without
Dialogue: 0,0:12:17.73,0:12:22.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,mentioning artificial intelligence even\Nonce, that's nice I think. Instead I've
Dialogue: 0,0:12:22.90,0:12:28.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,drawn this a bleak picture of a quasi\Ntotality of work and exploitation.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:28.77,0:12:34.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, automation and artificial\Nintelligence supposedly imply a future
Dialogue: 0,0:12:34.83,0:12:43.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,without work, right? So in the previous\Nexamples, platforms, software, artificial
Dialogue: 0,0:12:43.08,0:12:48.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,intelligence acted as scientific\Nmanagement. The Taylorist boss
Dialogue: 0,0:12:48.31,0:12:53.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,algorithmically distributing and\Nmodulating human workers as software
Dialogue: 0,0:12:53.19,0:13:01.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,extensions. Now, one great post work ideas\Nis to not only automate the management of
Dialogue: 0,0:13:01.36,0:13:09.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,working bodies and minds, but instead to\Ncompletely replace all human nodes with AI
Dialogue: 0,0:13:09.02,0:13:14.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as well. While I think this is an\Nexcellent foundation for discussing our
Dialogue: 0,0:13:14.56,0:13:21.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,society's obsession with work, I would\Nalso argue this hypothesis is as appealing
Dialogue: 0,0:13:21.67,0:13:29.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as it is flawed, unfortunately. So my\Nobservation is this: AI, artificial
Dialogue: 0,0:13:29.77,0:13:35.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,intelligence, is an appropriation and a\Npossible extrapolation of existing
Dialogue: 0,0:13:35.38,0:13:41.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,knowledge and skills, yes. And as such it\Nmight as well do our jobs but it is first
Dialogue: 0,0:13:41.82,0:13:49.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and foremost used as a scheme to fragment\Nwork into tasks that can be done anywhere
Dialogue: 0,0:13:49.07,0:13:55.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,24/7 and to make this labor invisible.\NWhat we see here is a piece called
Dialogue: 0,0:13:55.72,0:14:01.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Segmentation Network" which I made last\Nyear it plays back over 600,000
Dialogue: 0,0:14:01.98,0:14:07.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,segmentations manually created by\Nmechanical crowd workers, Mechanical Turk
Dialogue: 0,0:14:07.87,0:14:14.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,crowd workers, for Microsoft's cocoa image\Nrecognition data set. These so-called
Dialogue: 0,0:14:14.38,0:14:19.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,segmentations are based on photos we have\Nuploaded to Flickr and they are used in
Dialogue: 0,0:14:19.25,0:14:26.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,machine learning, training AI what it can\Nsee and what not. So you can automate as
Dialogue: 0,0:14:26.27,0:14:32.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,much as you want but at some point you\Nwill have to train and especially maintain
Dialogue: 0,0:14:32.58,0:14:39.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the machines and the software. So I would\Nsay AI creates yet another layer of badly
Dialogue: 0,0:14:39.100,0:14:48.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or unpaid care and maintenance work which\Nis often invisible on purpose. So I would
Dialogue: 0,0:14:48.68,0:14:53.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,say this needs to change. And I think\NFeminist theory and practices have to lot
Dialogue: 0,0:14:53.68,0:14:58.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have a lot to say about this issue but\Nthat's another talk and I would like to
Dialogue: 0,0:14:58.11,0:15:07.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hear it. So here is a point in case and\Nmaybe a solution: At the end of 2011,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:07.76,0:15:12.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while still being students and sharing a\Nstudio Silvia Larusso, a friend and
Dialogue: 0,0:15:12.78,0:15:18.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,artist, and me we started to take a\Nscreenshot of every single captcha that we
Dialogue: 0,0:15:18.34,0:15:25.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,had to solve while navigating the web. So\Nover the years, proving that we are human
Dialogue: 0,0:15:25.14,0:15:34.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,time and time again, we captured hundreds\Nof captchas. This year, we thought about
Dialogue: 0,0:15:34.03,0:15:38.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how to make this little thing or these\Nlike little things, the collection of
Dialogue: 0,0:15:38.79,0:15:42.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these things, into something which is as\Nvaluable and as expensive as possible and
Dialogue: 0,0:15:42.91,0:15:48.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so we published the complete collection as\Na series of five handmade Leporello books.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:48.59,0:15:55.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So each of these books is one year. And if\Nyou if you expand all these Leporello,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:55.94,0:16:02.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they have a total length of 90 meters\Nchronicling five years of micro labor as
Dialogue: 0,0:16:02.40,0:16:07.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,well as the history of captures. So if you\Nlook at it, captures started as a
Dialogue: 0,0:16:07.66,0:16:15.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,technique to merely prevent spam and then\Nthey kind of morphed into a method for
Dialogue: 0,0:16:15.21,0:16:22.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,deciphering house numbers and transcribing\Nbooks. And then lately it's become a means
Dialogue: 0,0:16:22.61,0:16:30.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of teaching image recognition to AI\Nsoftware. While we were collecting these
Dialogue: 0,0:16:30.97,0:16:37.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,captures, Gabriela Rojas Lozano in 2015\Nfiled a class action lawsuit against
Dialogue: 0,0:16:37.99,0:16:43.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Google and she claimed that Google\Noperates a highly profitable transcription
Dialogue: 0,0:16:43.25,0:16:49.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,business built upon free labor which it\Ndeceptively and unfairly obtains from
Dialogue: 0,0:16:49.18,0:16:56.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,unwitting website users. Unfortunately,\Nher claims were rejected. So here the
Dialogue: 0,0:16:56.53,0:17:01.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,judge states that it's like you spent only\Na few seconds on this it cannot be
Dialogue: 0,0:17:01.38,0:17:07.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,expected to pay for such a small job. So,\Nhowever, her attempt to sue Google was
Dialogue: 0,0:17:07.58,0:17:13.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,still a success I would say because it led\Nto the proof that Google has perfected a
Dialogue: 0,0:17:13.50,0:17:19.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,magical process in which work is\Ntransformed into literally nothing. So
Dialogue: 0,0:17:19.91,0:17:26.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,welcome post-work society! How does this\Nmagical trick work? It's rather simple.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:26.95,0:17:30.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You take a job, let's say transcribing\Nbooks, and you fragment it and you
Dialogue: 0,0:17:30.55,0:17:36.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,fragment it more and more and more until\Nsuddenly the job is magically done without
Dialogue: 0,0:17:36.25,0:17:42.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,anyone having ever worked on it. Because,\Nif nobody has to get paid, nobody had to
Dialogue: 0,0:17:42.43,0:17:47.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,work either, right? Hence, the judge's\Nstatement is proof that this magic
Dialogue: 0,0:17:47.37,0:17:52.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,actually works. It gets better. In the end\NGoogle still ends up being paid even
Dialogue: 0,0:17:52.22,0:17:57.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,though they have just made the job\Ndisappear magically. So what I want to
Dialogue: 0,0:17:57.92,0:18:04.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,suggest now is to seize the means of\Nmagic. What about this: Fragmenting those
Dialogue: 0,0:18:04.75,0:18:11.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,platforms that algorithmically manage us\Nto such a great degree they simply do not
Dialogue: 0,0:18:11.31,0:18:17.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,exist anymore? Magically, their job will\Nstill be done and in the end we get the
Dialogue: 0,0:18:17.87,0:18:23.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,money. I guess in like a less magical\Nversion we could call this platform co-
Dialogue: 0,0:18:23.80,0:18:30.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,operativism. If you do not believe in\Nmagic then I have two more suggestions
Dialogue: 0,0:18:30.16,0:18:38.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about what we, as a software extensions,\Ncan do. So I will show you two clips from
Dialogue: 0,0:18:38.38,0:18:43.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,my latest video piece which is called "I\NWill Say Whatever You Want in Front of a
Dialogue: 0,0:18:43.35,0:18:48.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Pizza". You can see the full version\Nonline on this website, all that's gonna
Dialogue: 0,0:18:48.57,0:18:52.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,be, I think there's going to be a\Nscreening somewhere here in the in the
Dialogue: 0,0:18:52.52,0:18:57.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,video lounge. Anyway, I will show you two\Nbits even though it's a 12-minute video
Dialogue: 0,0:18:57.47,0:19:03.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and just looking at two bits doesn't make\Ntoo much sense still I think they show a
Dialogue: 0,0:19:03.13,0:19:08.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,point I wanted to make pretty nicely. So\Nthe video is narrated from the perspective
Dialogue: 0,0:19:08.13,0:19:14.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of a cloud worker and this is the\Nprotagonist:
Dialogue: 0,0:19:14.52,0:19:23.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Protagonist: [unintelligeable speech from\Nvideo] Instead, I was working for a pizza
Dialogue: 0,0:19:23.08,0:19:29.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,delivery company. Brian, your next\Nautomated pizza delivery is scheduled for
Dialogue: 0,0:19:29.68,0:19:36.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Saturday February the 25th at 12:00 p.m..\NTo confirm, text yes. To decline, text no.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:36.50,0:19:39.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Text help for help.\NOther voice: Thank you, Papa John, you
Dialogue: 0,0:19:39.36,0:19:43.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,handsomeman. I shall call\Nyou the Carbs Vixen.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:43.03,0:19:46.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Protagonist: We're sorry, we didn't\Nunderstand. Please confirm or decline.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:46.60,0:19:51.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Other voice: When I make love I imagine\Nyou tossing some dough shirtless
Dialogue: 0,0:19:51.19,0:19:54.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Protagonist: Dude, our automated system\Nisn't set up yet. This is a real person
Dialogue: 0,0:19:54.66,0:20:00.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,texting you. I make minimum wage, please\Njust tell me if you want the pizza
Dialogue: 0,0:20:06.47,0:20:13.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,S: So, that's a protagonist. To give you\Nsome background: In 2016, Donald Trump's
Dialogue: 0,0:20:13.43,0:20:18.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,team hired a Singaporean teenager through\NFiverr which is the platform I talked
Dialogue: 0,0:20:18.35,0:20:24.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about before, and they hired her to\Nconvert a PowerPoint into a Prezi which is
Dialogue: 0,0:20:24.15,0:20:29.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the software I'm using for the video,\Nbasically outsourcing the Make America
Dialogue: 0,0:20:29.30,0:20:34.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Great Again campaign, which is it's a true\Nstory. {\i1}laughter in background{\i0} So at some
Dialogue: 0,0:20:34.39,0:20:38.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,point in the video, the protagonist who is\Nnow working and only as a pizza delivery
Dialogue: 0,0:20:38.77,0:20:44.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,bot but also as a cloud work on Amazon's\NMechanical Turk platform, preparing data
Dialogue: 0,0:20:44.69,0:20:50.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sets for AI, at some point he gets to know\Nthe Singaporean teenager as a fellow
Dialogue: 0,0:20:50.24,0:20:57.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,worker. And she has got an idea.\NProtagonist: One day, I found a thread
Dialogue: 0,0:20:57.52,0:21:04.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,started by her. She talked about the\Npolitical implications of what we did and
Dialogue: 0,0:21:04.85,0:21:17.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what kind of things we could do. Of\Ncourse, we on Mechanical Turk had created
Dialogue: 0,0:21:17.60,0:21:23.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the data set. It was sad to see how\Ndepressed many of us actually were.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:23.67,0:21:27.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Other voice: Researchers asked 500 workers\Nto complete a survey which contained a
Dialogue: 0,0:21:27.61,0:21:32.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,standard clinical depression survey. 170\Nworkers agreed to share their Instagram
Dialogue: 0,0:21:32.10,0:21:40.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,post for the study. Out of those 170\Nworkers, 70 were clinically depressed. By
Dialogue: 0,0:21:40.02,0:21:45.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the way, the depression filter is Inkwell.\NIt turns photos to black and white and
Dialogue: 0,0:21:45.29,0:21:51.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,adds high contrast. Better not to use it.\NProtagonist: But she pointed to something
Dialogue: 0,0:21:51.67,0:21:58.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,else. It was in our power to manipulate or\Neven to change the very core of such
Dialogue: 0,0:21:58.29,0:22:13.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,mechanisms: our data sets, machines,\Nsociety, you, the future. We started to
Dialogue: 0,0:22:13.52,0:22:20.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,discuss, to organize and to experiment. Of\Ncourse, we didn't always agree. Was this
Dialogue: 0,0:22:20.85,0:22:28.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just for fun, like Easter eggs? Did we\Nshare a political agenda? In any case,
Dialogue: 0,0:22:28.68,0:22:42.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,things had to happen secretly. Otherwise,\Nit wouldn't work. Teaching Google to
Dialogue: 0,0:22:42.38,0:22:48.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,identify a photo of an eggplant as British\Nsinger Chris Meloni served as a proof of
Dialogue: 0,0:22:48.22,0:22:53.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,concept.\NS: Okay, so the ideas is this: When we are
Dialogue: 0,0:22:53.76,0:22:58.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,extending software with our bodies and\Nminds, we are also extending our reach
Dialogue: 0,0:22:58.89,0:23:04.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into the software, and reaching into the\Nsoftware, being part of the software, we
Dialogue: 0,0:23:04.52,0:23:09.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can start to manipulate these systems that\Ngovern us and that we have to use to
Dialogue: 0,0:23:09.20,0:23:15.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,govern others. And once we are plugged, in\Nwe can manipulate data, we can create new
Dialogue: 0,0:23:15.47,0:23:21.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and weird and slow and inefficient\Nsoftware from within. So it can be fun,
Dialogue: 0,0:23:21.15,0:23:26.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like leaving easter eggs for others to\Nfind realizing yes, there are actual
Dialogue: 0,0:23:26.57,0:23:36.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people inside these systems. Which brings\Nme to my third and last thought: Why being
Dialogue: 0,0:23:36.36,0:23:43.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a software extension also has some chances\Nor possibilities. I will end the talk by
Dialogue: 0,0:23:43.50,0:23:48.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,talking about Mark Zuckerberg which will\Nmake me look like a fool anyway. Being a
Dialogue: 0,0:23:48.90,0:23:53.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,software extension can also offer a new\Naesthetic and a new way of being and I
Dialogue: 0,0:23:53.15,0:23:58.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,think this video which could be called the\Nfather of all stupid demos illustrates
Dialogue: 0,0:23:58.83,0:24:04.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this in a rather interesting way. Here,\Nfor whatever reason Zuckerberg is
Dialogue: 0,0:24:04.70,0:24:09.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,demonstrating Facebook's virtual reality\Nby visiting Puerto Rico in the wake of
Dialogue: 0,0:24:09.92,0:24:17.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hurricane Maria. So why do I show this\Nvideo? Contrary to what he had intended,
Dialogue: 0,0:24:17.34,0:24:22.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Zuckerberg as a crudely abstracted version\Nof himself turned into a software
Dialogue: 0,0:24:22.64,0:24:28.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,extension, detaches and dissociates\Nhimself from the real world. This is what
Dialogue: 0,0:24:28.77,0:24:36.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I like. Because I think and you will agree\Nwith me: Software is not perfect. It's
Dialogue: 0,0:24:36.52,0:24:41.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,full of bugs, it often behaves in\Nunexpected and weird and glitchy ways,
Dialogue: 0,0:24:41.88,0:24:50.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,doing stupid things often and like often\Nover and over again, in an infinite loop.
Dialogue: 0,0:24:50.76,0:24:57.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Therefore, embracing the weird and\Nabstract asthetic of a of a human as a
Dialogue: 0,0:24:57.11,0:25:02.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,software extension could actually allow us\Nto detach ourselves from circumstances and
Dialogue: 0,0:25:02.78,0:25:10.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which we are required to be our best\Nworking selves all the time. So being like
Dialogue: 0,0:25:10.12,0:25:15.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,available all the time, addressable,\Nprogrammable, to update ourselves all the
Dialogue: 0,0:25:15.47,0:25:21.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,time. We could like use being a software\Nextension, the aesthetic of being a
Dialogue: 0,0:25:21.18,0:25:28.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,software extension, as a mask behind which\Nwe can hide, pretending to be a bot.
Dialogue: 0,0:25:28.12,0:25:30.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's the idea. Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:25:30.72,0:25:41.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\i1}applause{\i0}
Dialogue: 0,0:25:41.08,0:25:45.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Herald: Thank you, Sebastian, indeed, for\Nmaking a bleak future look a little bit
Dialogue: 0,0:25:45.52,0:25:50.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,more bright. I think we have about five\Nminutes for very short Q&A, otherwise, he
Dialogue: 0,0:25:50.27,0:25:56.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,said you have a Twitter account and you\Ncan also meet Sebastian next to the stage.
Dialogue: 0,0:25:56.03,0:26:02.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So are there questions, maybe from the\NSignal Angel? None? Okay, then just
Dialogue: 0,0:26:02.07,0:26:05.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,another round of applause for Sebastian!\NSebastian: Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:26:05.38,0:26:08.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,\N{\i1}applause{\i0}
Dialogue: 0,0:26:08.28,0:26:15.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\i1}postroll music{\i0}
Dialogue: 0,0:26:15.49,0:26:29.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\i1}subtitles created by c3subtitles.de\Nin the year 2018{\i0}