Abstract
The Conspiracy Capitaliser is a physical interface for Generative AI which allows the user to produce a bespoke conspiracy through the operation of knobs, switches and buttons. The original intent of the artefact was as a personal exploration of how conspiracy theories were being monetised against a backdrop of social media disinformation and how these observations could be communicated to the general public. While the artefact began as a non-functioning sculptural work, the advent of accessible AI models like ChatGPT allowed it to become fully functional and transformed it into a useful tool for design ethics, public awareness and a better understanding of the systems that lie behind these emerging technologies. This paper describes the evolution of the Conspiracy Capitaliser through its conception, creation, its exhibition and how it became a multi-faceted lens through which both the designer and the public could explore problematic intersections of profit and technology.
Keywords
research through design, ai, artistic research, artefact, conspiracy, capitalism, exhibition
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.69
Citation
Collins, R.(2025) The Conspiracy Capitaliser: A Tool for Exploring the Intersection of AI, Politics and Profit, in Brandt, E., Markussen, T., Berglund, E., Julier, G., Linde, P. (eds.), Nordes 2025: Relational Design, 6-8 August, Oslo, Norway. https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.69
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
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The Conspiracy Capitaliser: A Tool for Exploring the Intersection of AI, Politics and Profit
The Conspiracy Capitaliser is a physical interface for Generative AI which allows the user to produce a bespoke conspiracy through the operation of knobs, switches and buttons. The original intent of the artefact was as a personal exploration of how conspiracy theories were being monetised against a backdrop of social media disinformation and how these observations could be communicated to the general public. While the artefact began as a non-functioning sculptural work, the advent of accessible AI models like ChatGPT allowed it to become fully functional and transformed it into a useful tool for design ethics, public awareness and a better understanding of the systems that lie behind these emerging technologies. This paper describes the evolution of the Conspiracy Capitaliser through its conception, creation, its exhibition and how it became a multi-faceted lens through which both the designer and the public could explore problematic intersections of profit and technology.