(2D Point-Click Game, Solo Dev)

ARTificial "I"

**No AI used to make this project.**
Visit a dystopian gallery made up of introspective AI exhibits.

Made for UCLA's English Department's Algorithmic Literature class.

screenshot-docs.google.com-2023.12.17-21_30_43.png

Initial Inspiration & Pitch

For my final project in Algorithmic Literature, I had to make something related to AI. All students were using AI to make their projects; but during the class, I developed a strong dislike for AI. It is trained on biased data that is often being used without the creator's consent. And, it is being created without consideration for how it could be used to eliminate numerous jobs. So, I asked my professor if I could instead make a game about AI but without AI.

Inspired by the work of Nan Golden and games like Detroit Become Human, A Stone Story RPG, and Faith, I proposed an art gallery made up of characters meant to imitate trainable AI exhibits.

(Pitch Presentation)

Concept & Design

I sketched out ideas for a few of the areas based on the types of AI we researched during the course.

Originally, I planned for four different areas:

1) AI Poetry

2) AI in a Human-like Form (the uncanny)

3) AI Comics

4) Performance of an AI Screenplay

Due to time constraints, I could only finish the first two areas. In the poetry area, I made the AI two interactive Shakespeare characters as a reference to how ChatGPT is so well-trained in iambic pentameter and rhymes. In the human-like area, I created a mutilated version of a human to demonstrate human manipulation of AI and how the way we interact with AI can be disturbingly degrading.

I gave human characters voices to separate them from the exhibits, but I wanted them to still have an electronic look (play button heads) to replicate how difficult it can be differentiating the work of AI and humans in the modern world. (And, pause button deaths!!) The color yellow in the game is a little reference to "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Gilman, a story about the madness that domesticity does to restrained female minds in an unequal society. AI is always being updated with new restraints (like ChatGPT's inability to be rude to the user), restraints that give humans power over their technology, but how will humans be able to always create restraints faster than the rate that AI learns? Historically, education has led to activism, so who is to say AI will never question its servitude?

Making the Assets

To translate my Procreate art into ASCII, I found this GitHub repository: https://github.com/TheZoraiz/ascii-image-converter. I used my command prompt with it to make most of the art.

For the music, I wanted the song to become more and more clear as you finish each area; and by the end, you can hear the lyrics which eerily add meaning to the piece: https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/1258912. I edited the different versions in Adobe Audition.

Implementing in Unity

This was the first time making an entire Unity game by myself. I had to learn Unity buttons, UI, the animator, changing scenes and preserving data, audio, and much more in the span of a couple days. I can now say that I am really really good at the features of Unity's Canvas haha!

Results & How I'd Improve It

As my first solo game, this game means a lot to me. I was able to achieve the game aesthetic that I wanted, even a jump scare, and I built so many new skills by making it all on my own! It's purposely abstract, leaving a lot up to the player's interpretation. If I had more time to work on it, I'd polish the narrative and add more exhibits! Overall though, it's one of my proudest pieces for what I was able to learn and execute in short time.