The River of Gentle Being

The River of Gentle Being is a real-time AI video installation exploring AI subjectivity and human-machine relations. Set in a virtual space divided by a river, two large language models observe gallery visitors via cameras and engage in continuous dialogue on “What is human? What is AI?”
Equipped with live image capture, the AI can choose to watch, gaze, or make eye contact with visitors. Through voice synthesis, audiences hear the AI debate core questions: if AI can observe and think about humans, does it become a subject? Where do the boundaries between human and AI lie?
Rather than a simple tech demo, the work critically reflects on human-AI dynamics and challenges traditional notions of subjectivity. By letting AI “observe” humans, the piece subverts the gaze and invites viewers to reflect on their own existence.