SUBRE Pecha Kucha by Pouyan Bizeh
T
HE January 6th attack on the United States Capitol is a sign of how different people living under different media spheres of influence may believe in different sets of “facts,” thus acting quite differently from other people when it comes to political action. Nowadays, thanks to carefully crafted algorithms, we are receiving highly personalized information through entertainment and information media outlets. The algorithms and machines that support them are only becoming more effective and efficient every day. So far, this phenomenon has resulted in separated sociopolitical bubbles in the society – people who receive almost the same information (yet clearly distinguishable from what “others” receive), share the same beliefs, and engage in certain communities. In a lack of regulation in the future, these bubbles may become as small to fit only one person: you. You may soon find yourself isolated from others but
surrounded by the contents you desire. The premise of the story of Subre is that through AI and machine learning, a service emerges that delivers media entertainment (including news) in a very subjective and personalized manner to the users. Imagine if, for example, a movie offers countless desirable endings for different viewers based on their preferences. This imaginary service and the corporation behind it are called Subre. Due to recent incidents in 2050, the public has become more aware of the company’s activities. Therefore, Subre’s CEO, Brian Kinsky is invited to the congress to testify on the potential dangers of their product and their proposition to protect the public from possible harm. This Pecha Kucha portrays a recital of his testimonial before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, accompanied by relevant visuals and roleplayed by me. The entire performance is a sociopolitical commentary on how
HUMAN FUTURES
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