Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where we work and live. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.

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Telescope

Can we use Artificial Intelligence to explore how fictional characters might respond to real-world environments?

Telescope

Can we use Artificial Intelligence to explore how fictional characters might respond to real-world environments?

Telescope is an experimental AI Machine learning tool for writers, developed by Sandpit in collaboration with Google’s Creative Lab in Sydney.

Telescope allows writers to take a character ‘out for a walk’ in the real world and generate new ideas.

First, the writer describes their character in a Google Docs Add-on. Then, the writer heads outside onto the street with their phone and their headphones. As they walk, a mobile app synthesises maps data and info from the phone’s camera.

The app then begins a sort of ‘stream of consciousness’ audio – using text-to-speech functions – combining the character’s qualities with inspiration from the writer’s immediate surroundings. The results can be poignant, banal, surprising and often hilarious.