Avatars?

What does Wikipedia say? Avatar (also spelled as avatara) (Sanskrit: अवतार , avatāra), most commonly refers to the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of a divine being (deva) (...). The Sanskrit word avatāra- literally means "descent" (avatarati) and usually implies a deliberate descent into lower realms of existence for special purposes. The term is used primarily in Hinduism, for incarnations of Vishnu whom many Hindus worship as God.

Vishnu Vishnu: the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of and beyond the past, present and future , the creator and destroyer of all existences, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within.

How does this relate to technological avatars?

Emerging Simultaneous Culture Current avatars : shift from representation to experience based meaning we are moving towards - a different relationship to time and space SL : It is an emerging cultural voice that marries Social Media, Experiential Media (MOOs: MultiUser Object Oriented Systems) and Synthetic Intelligence.

Current avatars : shift from representation to experience based meaning

we are moving towards

- a different relationship to time and space SL : It is an emerging cultural voice that marries

Social Media,

Experiential Media (MOOs: MultiUser Object Oriented Systems) and

Synthetic Intelligence.

Web 2.0: Social Media Databases + Network = Agregation of Content

Social Media - Connect People with past and existing physical relationships Exchange of information with each other. I.e. facebook , delicious - Agregation of interest: Community of interest: prosumer, viewser - Non institutionally funded construction of cultural meaning impact real life activities : I.e. Copy Right law - Asynchronous communication: no simultaneous co-presence - Cartesian mind-body relationship: representation of intellectual processes (Shinkle, 2007)

Experiential Media MOO and MUDs= Multi-Object Orientation and multi-user role-playing environments. - Synchronous communication : Building of live community of practice - People share experiences and content - Co-create meaning and culture (performances, interactions, etc) - relationship exists in the moment Avatar based : users have a virtual body that exits within a place - Actualization of Technological identity, with real life connections

Synthetic Media Visualization of live relationships n-way communication between machines between humans between machines and humans Characterized by shift from asynchronous data stream to synchronous data algorithms based narratives Co-creation of narratives by Algorythms or humans Influencing Broadcasting

Visualization of live relationships

n-way communication

between machines

between humans

between machines and humans

Characterized by

shift from asynchronous data stream to synchronous data

algorithms based narratives

Co-creation of narratives by Algorythms or humans

Influencing Broadcasting

Synthetic Intelligence Global computing creates increasingly complex systems.. Researchers are thinking of building computer systems that can act effectively on our behalf This implies: The ability of computer systems to act independently The ability of computer systems to act in a way that represents our best interests while interacting with other humans or systems, Systems that can cooperate and reach agreements (or even compete) with other systems that have different interests (much as we do with other people) Global computing creates increasingly complex systems.. Researchers are building Synthetic Intelligence that can act effectively on our behalf This implies: The ability of computer systems to act intelligently Systems that can cooperate and reach agreements (or even compete) with other systems that have different interests (much as we do with other people)

Global computing creates increasingly complex systems..

Researchers are building Synthetic Intelligence that can act

effectively on our behalf

This implies:

The ability of computer systems to act intelligently

Systems that can cooperate and reach agreements (or even compete) with other systems that have different interests (much as we do with other people)

Human and machine avatars -> in common: Move away from semiotic image reading towards an affective (sensorial and emotional based) reading - Meaning not created by preproduced messages * in real time: move from sequencial to parallel * embodied representation: body reunited with the mind * in a space: community * co-creation by participants

Conclusion Are we nearing the end of a media cycle? Culture of simultaneous brings us back to pre greek theater time relationships to the world: - Moving experiences back into our bodies - public is a performer - performance: meaning build by avatar relationships - virtual worlds = other place - Time of meaning creation: Simultaneous

Singularity

Singularity: What does it mean? For most: Shift in the direction of our civilization Intelligent collective: Ai ? Human Collective ? Transhuman future (uploaded consciousnesses)? Posthuman future (symbiosis of human and artificial intelligence)? end of civilization ? Birth of electronic Collective Unconsciousness: mcKenna ? Gods?