Spectral Haven

»Spectral Haven« is a training environment for the machine-based service industry: in infinitely generated scenarios, robot vacuum cleaners clean their way through virtual bathrooms, self-driving cars make their rounds through invented cities to eventually be safe enough for the real world – all controlled by AI... right? Where does the machine end when we have become one with it?

In the second part of »Spectral Haven« you can become active yourself: We invite you to create your own virtual environment and create a new world from the remnants of various urban environments in a co-curation process.

The starting point of the VR experience »Spectral Haven« is the concept of »mind uploading« developed by Hans Moravec in his 1988 book »Mind Children«, which he hoped would not only lead to a new, hybrid life form whose intelligence would grow exponentially, but also to the overcoming of our physical shell and thus ultimately to digital immortality. Ray Kurzweil's book »The Singularity Is Near« adds a prediction to the thesis: in 2045, Kurzweil says, due to the rapidly accelerating development in all areas of progress, there will be a singularity, i.e. an event that will irreversibly change our world and after which artificial intelligence will far surpass human intelligence.

His book »The Singularity is Nearer«, announced for June 2024, is therefore aptly titled: »When we Merge with AI«. Fittingly, author James Barrat describes AI, and in particular AGI – Artificial General Intelligence or strong AI – as the last invention that mankind will ever make.

In »Spectral Haven«, we postulate that the »mind uploading« described by Moravec has actually worked, and that this process has also led to the Singularity. However, almost unnoticed – instead of causing the social disruption that futurologists like Ray Kurzweil predicted, all devices and services that were previously equipped with »weak AI« have now developed a metaphysical consciousness. Bad for us...

The ZKM Hertzlab is the artistic research and development department at ZKM Karlsruhe. The investigation and critical questioning of immersive mechanisms and artificial worlds beyond the promises of salvation of large companies is one of its central tasks. To this end, it has set up a new laboratory: the VRlab is located on the 2nd floor between the ZKM Foyer and Atrium 8 and is also open to the public at certain times. With a traverse and tracking system and the latest VR and PCVR hardware, the 50 square meter room can comfortably accommodate a research team or two players. Research projects will primarily be realized here in cooperation with other institutions, artists and guests. »Spectral Haven« is the first project to be developed and shown in this lab.