Lauren Lee McCarthy (Machine Listening)

Lauren Lee McCarthy talks to artist Sean Dockray, legal scholar James Parker, and curator Joel Stern about some of her many works concerned with smart speakers, machine listening and social relationships in the midst of surveillance, automation, and algorithmic living. They discuss: LAUREN, for which she attempted to become a human version of Alexa, SOMEONE, which won her the Prix Ars Electronica 2020 / Interactive Art +, and a range of related works and political questions. Our devices are listening to us. Previous generations of audio-technology transmitted, recorded or manipulated sound. Today our digital voice assistants, smart speakers and a growing range of related technologies are increasingly able to analyse and respond to it as well. Scientists and engineers increasingly refer to this as “machine listening”, though the first widespread use of the term was in computer music. Machine listening is much more than just a new scientific discipline or vein of technical innovation however. It is also an emergent field of knowledge-power, of data extraction and colonialism, of capital accumulation, automation and control. It demands critical and artistic attention. https://machinelistening.exposed/curriculum/ For the past 20 years, Liquid Architecture has been Australia’s leading organisation for artists working with sound and listening. LA investigates the sounds themselves, but also the ideas communicated about, and the meaning of, sound and listening.