In the 21st century, we are seeing a new form of raw material extraction that penetrates deep into the biosphere. AI technologies, the production of which is made possible by this, have a lasting effect on the cognitive and affective layers of the human being. The resources for the production of systems such as Amazon Echo, a voice-controlled, Internet-based personal assistant, go beyond the technical aspects of data modeling, hardware, servers and networks and reach much further into the realms of labor, capital and nature. The true costs – social, environmental, economic and political – remain mostly hidden.
In “Anatomy of an AI” we show you the countless components and factors behind the production of artificially intelligent systems, using Amazon Echo as an example. However, this process is so complex that it is currently difficult to understand in its full extent.