ArchaeaBot

ArchaeaBot: A Post Singularity and Post Climate Change Life-form takes the form of an underwater robotic installation that explores what ‘life’ might mean in a post singularity, post climate change future. The project is based on the latest research about archaea, ancient micro-organisms that are now considered to be one of the three domains of life. Archaea are believed to be the oldest life-forms on Earth and originally evolved near hot deep sea vents when the Earth was still in the process of cooling down. Some species are highly acid tolerant, feed on methane, or can live without oxygen. They will be ideally suited to the hot, acid rain polluted future that humans are in the process of creating.

Archaea are simple creatures that have little control over the tails that help them swim and feed. But this biomimetic ArchaeaBot has an artificially intelligent neural network and uses machine learning to collect data and evolve. Perhaps in the future it will be the perfect host for techno-positivist human minds to upload their consciousness to and live on, embodied, inside the ‘ultimate’ species for the end of the world as we know it.

Credit: Artists: Anna Dumitriu and Alex May, collaborating scientist Amanda Wilson, funded through an EMAP residency with additional support from Arts Council England.