If the goal of a piece of art is to spark a reaction, there's no denying that a robot dog with the face of Elon Musk "pooping out" printouts generated by artificial intelligence will do the trick.
Digital artist Mike Winkelmann (@beeple_crap) showcased a clip on Instagram from a new installation that really does feature that.
The clip shows the uncannily lifelike head of Musk on a robot dog in "Poop Mode" unveiling a card.
USA Today contextualized the weirdness, revealing that the "Regular Animals" installation is being shown at Art Basel Miami Beach. Musk is just one of many figures making a cameo, with Jeff Bezos, Andy Warhol, and Mark Zuckerberg among others sharing the spotlight.
The dogs do the usual dog stuff like roaming around, sitting, and standing. What's eye-catching is their pooping. That's where AI comes in, and the machinations are more than just visual.
All told, Beeple revealed the robots will generate over 1,000 prints by taking pictures of the audience, ranking them, and recreating them in their programmed worldview. The technology is making its own user-generated-content-style art as it goes.
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"I am excited for this type of long form generative work as it combines dynamic sculptures, photography and AI into one output where the audience literally becomes part of the artwork just by viewing it," Beeple shared in an Instagram post.
There's no doubt this exhibit showcases some of the wild output of artwork reliant on AI while delving into the growing prominence of robots and celebrities (especially tech billionaires) in our society.
Of course, AI and robots do harbor a lot of potential for good in the world. They also have plenty of drawbacks, considering AI's massive toll on the environment and the potential dangers of robots that could do far worse things than poop.
Beeple's exhibit attracted a wide range of reactions. Some commenters on social media compared it to hokey science fiction works like "Mars Attacks," as USA Today noted. Others were less interested in it.
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No way 🙅 "Thanks, I hate it," an IG commenter wrote.
A user joked: "Quick! Grab it! Elon pooped another idea! (humanity's last hope)"
Beeple did seem to hit on the exhibit's allure at this moment.
"We will increasingly be viewing the world through the lens of AI," the artist wrote.
It's hard to quibble with that, no matter how you feel about the exhibit.
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