The Future Behind Us | Ep. #9: When an AI Governs Your City [w/ Pinar Yoldas]

Smart cities across the world are pioneering chatbots, autonomous vehicles and AI technologies to help streamline bureaucratic services, facilitate police recruitment, fill in potholes or locate resources at the library. Could algorithmic systems of control and governance be applied to all public services? Could an ultra-efficient AI kitten centralise and impersonate all the services, authorities and regulations that make a large city function? Artist, designer and academic Pinar Yoldas believes this is a plausible and perhaps desirable scenario. Why wouldn’t a loving and cute robot be better at running the lives of citizens than human high-ranking officials?

COLOPHON

Host: Régine Debatty
Guest: Pinar Yoldas

Recording: Régine Debatty
Music, editing and audio mix: Gašper Torkar

The Future Behind Us podcast series

Curated by: Régine Debatty
Coordinated by: Janez Fakin Janša

Produced by: Marcela Okretič

Production:
Aksioma | Institute for Contemporary Art Ljubljana, 2024

Part of:
PXXP•XXV: Speculation and Decay

Conceived and co-organised by:
Aksioma

For:
Pixxelpoint – 25^th International Festival of Contemporary Art Practices

Produced and co-organised by:
Nova Gorica Arts Centre

In the framework of:
GO! 2025 – European Capital of Culture, Nova Gorica 2025

Supported by:
the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Municipality of Nova Gorica