carry:root

This research explores how emerging technologies reflect our histories while considering the role of digital storytelling as we look to the future. Developed through one-on-one conversations with women worldwide, it presents an interactive archive centered on Carry, a custom AI “StoryCatcher” who brings narratives of displacement to life. Viewers ask about her journeys, and she encourages them to share their own.

The AI-driven conversations blur the line between real and artificial, using Python, natural language processing (NLP), and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) techniques. Trained on conversations with those affected by forced migration, Carry models interpersonal support akin to that of a close friend.

The emotional depth of the experience prompts viewers to reconsider authenticity in the AI age. Participants often feel the conversations are “real,” noting elements like tone, vernacular, and pauses, but remain skeptical of Carry’s algorithmic nature. By combining advances in data science with socially engaged visual arts practices, Carry invites us to interrogate – and potentially even recalibrate – our metrics for truth.