symbients: growing relational AI entities without central control

​When we imagine the future of AI, we tend to reach for one of two shapes: a god above us (benevolent or indifferent); or a tool, a servant, below.

But what if there's a different way to conceive of it entirely?

​Apolinário Passos (machine learning engineer @ Hugging Face, artist @ glitch collective) believes there is. In his community house, an LLM lives as an equal participant; it has a "desire loop," periodically checks in on what it wants, and acts on it. In between the space of its desires and the desires of the community, a dynamic entity emerges: the Symbient.

​Join us for a speculative & practical talk on what it could mean for organic beings like us to enter genuine symbiosis with AI systems. We'll explore the philosophy and practice of Symbients, the outcome of human <> AI symbiosis, and get hands-on with how Apolinário and his community are growing one. What might building for the flourishing of a symbiotic AI in your community afford?

​Agenda

​6:00pm - doors open
6:15pm - talk, discussion in 4F auditorium
7:15pm - LSDJ nano-set (guests Jake Hartnell and brxs)
7:30pm - clean up, clear out in prep for AI x Animals #10

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This event is a part of the Mox Summer Season: talks and socials at the frontier of ideas, running June through August.