Babel, Babble: New installation invites us to explore the impact of AI on language and stories

Inspired by the story of the Tower of Babel, which explains the origins of different human languages, Babel, Babble invites us to explore the complexities of AI large language models (LLMs) and reflect on the challenges and consequences of generative AI. 

The installation, developed by UCL researchers from the Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, features five screens, each connected to a copy of an AI model configured to respond as Mother Earth. A single text input generates five simultaneous, distinct responses, allowing visitors to compare them and uncover the inherent biases and differences in AI-generated language.

The Tower of Babel myth serves as a metaphor to explore the unpredictability and multiplicity of AI language. Just as this story describes the fracturing of a unified language, this installation disrupts the singular "authorial voice" of the AI, revealing inconsistencies and distortions embedded in the algorithm. The project encourages visitors to critically examine the role of AI LLMs in shaping communication, creativity, and culture.

Through direct engagement, Babel, Babble raises timely questions: How do AI LLMs shape the narratives they produce? What biases are embedded in these technologies, and what risks arise when their outputs are used uncritically? The installation also contributes to ongoing research into AI-generated language, offering valuable data for academic analysis and fuelling broader conversations about AI’s impact on society.

By bridging art and technology, Babel, Babble aims to spark dialogue on how we interact with and understand generative AI in our everyday lives.

Babel, Babble has been developed by Leah Lovett, Andy Hudson-Smith, and Simon Gosling from Connected Environments at the UCL Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.

The installation is open daily 10am - 6pm, from 16 January until 21 February in the Atrium of the UCL East Marshgate building. There is no need to book, just turn up!