Hello Human, Hello Machine
Rachel Hanlon
Hello, can you hear me?
Through challenging and disconnected times, we’ve used technology to create a hyper connected world. With phones now in our pockets we can instantaneously share things with our friends and find answers to any question that comes to mind. With the help of virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, our connection goes beyond humans. Hello Machines are reanimated payphones scattered across the globe in ever changing locations and time zones. Pick up the receiver to call another Hello Machine and have a spontaneous conversation with a stranger.
Who will answer, human or machine? Does it matter?
Rachel Hanlon is an artist in the field of media archaeology, an area of study that provides historical context for new media and technology. She is interested in reconnecting with obsolete technologies to reveal their contributions, connections and ongoing relevance to our lives. The Hello Machine project is a big part of Rachel’s Ph.D. research into the interplay between people and things.
This version of Hello Machine, Hello Human was developed in collaboration with Dr Johanne Trippas and five members of Sci-Curious: Eli/Elena McGannon, Annabel Yenson, Claire Price, Jess Coldrey and Joseph Doggett-Williams. Creative technical assistance from Dr Matthew Gardiner.
Dr Johanne Trippas is interested in making information more accessible through digital assistants. For example, she researches how people search for information over spoken conversations and how pilots use digital flight assistants while flying. She is also working with Ambulance Victoria using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify when a caller in an emergency call is having a cardiac arrest.
Dr Matthew Gardiner is an artist most well known for his work with origami and robotics. He coined the term Oribot 折りボト and then created Oribotics, a field of art/science research that thrives on the aesthetic, biomechanic, and morphological connections between nature, origami and robotics. Gardiner holds a position as artist and key researcher at the Ars Electronica Futurelab, in Linz Austria, where the philosophy of art, society and technology intersect.
Jess Coldrey is a creative technologist, human geographer, and 2021 Victorian Government John Monash Scholar. She received a BA and BVA from Monash University in 2021, where studying sustainable development, 3D printing, and creative coding inspired her artwork. Jess has exhibited across Victoria, including an artist residency at Burrinja Gallery.