Interaction Design School of Design
Elle Crawley
Elle Crawley is an interactive designer and artist fascinated by the intersections of identity, technology, human experience, and video games. Their latest work, “Digital Doppelganger,” invites audience members to engage with an interactive AI model created to resemble their appearance, voice, and personality. Through this installation, Elle explores the concept of living posthumously through digital avatars, where one’s identity and presence can persist and continue to exist in digital spaces, unaffected by the physical constraints of the real world.
By creating a digital version of themselves, Elle delves into the potential for technology to maintain and extend a part of our essence beyond the limitations of our physical existence. Audience members are encouraged to freely converse with this digital replica, testing the boundaries of interaction to determine if they feel they are engaging with a real person or a machine. This interaction not only sparks discussions about the nature of identity and consciousness but also examines the process of humanising AI.
By embedding human traits and emotions into AI, the installation challenges viewers to consider the ethical and philosophical implications of creating machines that can mirror human behaviour and responses. “Digital Doppelganger” invites reflection on the profound questions of how digital doubles could alter our understanding of presence, continuity, and what it means to be human in an increasingly digital age. It encourages viewers to think about the future of AI in society, the potential for deeper emotional connections with digital entities, and the ways in which technology can preserve human experiences and identities in new, transformative ways.
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Creating my 3D Avatar
To create a digital avatar that would represent myself in a digital environment, I worked on designing a model that would look as human and as accurate to me as possible. I chose to explore this by scanning my face, creating a 3D model with my exact proportions, and digitally painting all the model’s textures so that all my imperfections and marks that are unique to me were captured in the model. This method allowed me to create a lifelike 3D model that acted as my digital avatar.
This process of creating a digital double allowed me to delve into the concept of presence and continuity. In creating a digital version of myself that can interact with others, I explored the idea of existence beyond physical life. This raises questions about the potential for digital avatars to serve as a form of legacy, preserving aspects of our identity and presence in a manner that traditional forms of memory cannot. Furthermore, the project delves into the ethical and philosophical implications of humanising AI. By embedding my traits and emotions into the AI model, I challenge viewers to consider the responsibilities and consequences of creating machines that can mirror human behaviour and responses. This sparks important discussions about the future of AI in society and the potential for forming deeper emotional connections with digital entities.
Creating The display
For the housing of my digital avatar, I designed a display case inspired by brutalist architecture. This sleek and minimalist structure provides a striking backdrop for the monitor displaying my 3D avatar. Behind the display case, multiple DMX lights strategically backlight the installation, imparting a commanding presence and infusing the space with a futuristic atmosphere.
