Can Second Life House Artificial Organisms?

Why an interest in SL?

– It can enhance physical relationships

– It is an emerging cultural voice that will marry• Social Media, • Communal Media (MOOs: MultiUser Object Oriented

Systems) and • Agent systems.

Web 2.0: Social Media

Databases +

Network =

Agregation of Content

Social Media

- People with existing physical relationships use information to share insights and experiences with each other. I.e. facebook

- Agregation of interest: impact real life activities I.e. Copy Right law

- Asynchronous communication: no simultaneous co-presence

- Cartesian mind-body relationship: virtualization of intellectual processes (Shinkle, 2007)

Communal Media

MOO and MUDs= Multi-Object Orientation and multi-user role-playing environments.

- Synchronous communication : - People share experiences- relationship exists in the moment- Agregation of interest ==> building of live community

Avatar based: users are embodied and represented within a space

- Actualization of Technological identity, with real life connections

Synthetic Media

Visualisation of live relationships n-way communication

between machines  between humans between machines and

humans

Characterized by shift from asynchronous data

stream to synchronous data algorithms based narratives Co-creation of narratives by

Algorythms or humans

Synthetic Intelligence

Global computing creates increasingly complex systems..

Researchers are thinking of building computer systems that can act effectively on our behalf

This implies:

The ability of computer systems to act independently

The ability of computer systems to act in a way that represents our best interests while interacting with other humans or systems,

Systems that can cooperate and reach agreements (or even compete) with other systems that have different interests (much as we do with other people)

Global computing creates increasingly complex systems..

Researchers are thinking of building Synthetic Intelligence that can act effectively on our behalf

This implies:

The ability of computer systems to act intelligently

Systems that can cooperate and reach agreements (or even compete) with other systems that have different interests (much as we do with other people)

MultiAgent Systems

Agent= Artificial intelligence

A multiagent system is one that consists of a number of agents, which interact with one-another. Distributed AI: the agents learn together and are becoming social.

- Synchronous and asynchronous communication between agents: - Agregation of content and transactions

==> building of synthetic artificial community

Paradox

Different belief systems are coexisting.

ICT

CI Socio Economy Analysis

Understanding of a society's cultural evolution based on:

Critical discourse analysis Cultural Industries (Miège, 2000, Tremblay, 2001, Moeglin, 2001) analysis framework that

observes emerging Communication models

Creative, Production and Distribution modelsEconomy models

Industrial Framework ( Production and Distribution models)

Creates new marketShift control over what part of media chain

Mediated Communication Supports Values

Ideology

Ideology

Ideology is a system of ideas which is tacite to actors; it represents the interests of a specific social class (Weber, 1930). Socio-economy examines economy conditions which produce ideologies.

Ideology Organizations that strive for power will try to influence the ideology of a society to become closer to what they want it to be. Political organizations (governments included) and other groups (e.g. lobbyists) try to influence people by broadcasting their opinions.

Control ?

Mediated Communication = Tacite representation of Ideology(Weber, 1930, Castoriadis, 1987, Moeglin 2001)

Different communication processes give control of value chain to different actors. The ones who have most control over accessto messages or can massified their voice can influence the public's societal imageinaries :perception of societal evolution and dominant value system

But a new IC technology is not automatically a mass media

Cycle of Innovation

Hypothesis

Second Life is still in the experimental innovation phase, a variety of agents from different communities animated by different ideologies coexists to test the potentials of this technology.

- Some actors see virtual worlds as a marketing tool for their products. - Others are trying to establish non dominant social values

Cycle of innovation – Experimental Phase

Art communities

Distribution: - Virtual Arts Alliance (Contemporary Arts)- Art galleries- Sundance (Film), ABC (News) - Archival: Lynn Hershman (New Media Artist)

Remediation: machinimaVirtualisation of painting (Robbie Dingo)Generative Art

Creative Emerging Forms• Emerging Forms• Code as visual art: Hyperformalism: Dan Coyote

http://slurl.com/secondlife/uvvy/85/209/26

• SL InternshipAlternate spacial designs

• Edo Autopoesis• Code as environment Angry Beth• Alternative interfaces: Judith Doyle

• Reactive Art: Art galleryCode as visual and behavioural art

Each Group= Different ValuesCommercial Good

Sale of Cultural Products

Cultural Worker(Dan Coyote)

GalleriesMass Media

Public Good

Co-creation of Cultural Discourse

Cultural agent (Judith Doyle)

(Ars Virtua)

Odyssey Art Metropole

Art

value

Artist

Institutions

Collectives

Portfolio Good

Sale of Production Skills

Freelance creativeentrepreneur (Robbie Dingo)

Stores

Virtual Artists Alliance

SL Hybrid Information Economy System

- Classic Corporate Economy: Cultural products

- Collective Economy: Social activities between participantsnot for sale

- Entrepreneurial Economy: Hyper autonomous social agents

Social Interactions = Different frameworks

Classic

Institutional Top-Down

Isolated-Passive

1 way

InstitutionalPersonal

Marketing

Collective

Communities of Practice

Social Communities

N ways

ProfessionalInterest Communities

Experiential Communities

Model

Hierarchy

Individual

Com

Social Network

Marketing

Entrepreneurial

Personal Networks

Social Networks

N ways

ProfessionalPersonal

Word of Mouth

Adapted from M. Gensollen (2007, p. 114)

Based on different definition of individuals and economy

Classic Industrial Economy

• Traditional Corporate Model

• Editorial Cultural Industries Model (Miege, Tremblay, 2001)

• Production Capital• Product sold for profit • Marketing: Advertisement

Competition between agents

Source: Ross Dawson, http://www.rossdawsonblog.com/weblog/archives/2007/07/in_the_leadup_t.html

Entrepreneurial Economy

Compassionate Entrepreneur (Schumpeter, 1942)

operates within actant networks (Latour, 1990).

Peer to Peer economy and Contract economy:

ebay, Open Source

Coopetition (Brandenburger, 1997): Collaborate and Compete in a networked economy

Human and Reputation Capital, referant capital

Collective Mutual Economy

Social interactions and actions and reaction between producers and users, which are not marketable (Grevet, 2002) Researchers learn together to advance their field.

Economy based on Collaboration Knowledge capital in a knowledge society, humanist and innovation society

3D Web

• Innovation Model that uses all previous models.• Focuses on Co-creation of knowledge ad culture.

• Hybrid economic system: Compassionate Entrepreneurs work THROUGH corporations that find her/him via social networks.

• Human, Knowledge and Social Capital

OAS

“We imagine a future where Second Life is able grow beyond the borders of Linden Lab. We see regions running on open source, alternative simulators. We see web services that allow people to build mash-ups of Second Life and the Web.”

http://dusanwriter.wordpress.com/2007/09/22/second-life-open-architecture/Opens the door to new players: AGI

AGI Economy : Cyber Economy

The power of AGI to manipulate and create complex decision making instruments . To help human leaders to make sense of the increasingly bogglingly complex world.

Economy – micropayments for knowledge (buy knowledge, capability, etc. for your agent)

– payment for tuition (send your virtual baby to school, etc.)

– companies hire virtual agents as employees.

-- Joint Stewardship of Earth.

Capitalist Frameworks

Classic

Competition

Liberal

Sale of Good and services

Top-Down

Passive human

Collective

Collaboration and reciprocity

Innovation

Knowledge Exchange

Communities of practices

Autonomous thinkerbrings experience back to the firm

Model

Progress

Economy

based on

Hierarchy

Worker

Entrepreneurial

Coopetition

Neo-liberal

Self-service

ICT mediate Worker-client relationship

Hyper Autonomousin a social networkHuman or Machine

Adapted from Boltanski & Chappellio, 2001

Conclusion

SL already houses artificial organisms As it opens its architecture ALIFE artists will

enter the space ALIFE is not controlled. Where is that taking us?