Thesis Chapters by Cameron Edmond
Poetics of the machine: Machine writing and the AI literature frontier
Macquarie University Thesis Collection, 2019
Machine writing is defined in this thesis as the explicit use of computational methods to compose... more Machine writing is defined in this thesis as the explicit use of computational methods to compose literature. The form has seen a surge in popularity as part of academic and journalistic conversations regarding the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative practices. Currently, creative coders, literary scholars and computer scientists are grappling with what does and does not constitute AI-penned literature, occasionally leading into conversations regarding singularity-type events. This thesis seeks to ground the conversation, focusing on past and present machine writing and evaluating how it relates to the idea of AI literature. To do this, the common theme of comparing literature by machines to literature by humans will be challenged. Through close readings of both output and code, I argue that to understand AI literature, we must explore the poetics and consequences unique to machine writing.
In order to highlight changes in the form, this thesis will develop a history of machine writing. Trajectories from the language games of the OuLiPo group and the Beat Generation’s
cut-up experiments to Twitterbots and algorithmically generated novels will be charted. Through analysis that focuses on both the literary output of these machines and their
constraints/codes, the distinctly inhuman qualities of machine writing will be explored. This analysis will reveal the capacity of machine writing to transform texts, create unthinkable
worlds, and mirror the anxieties of the information age. In short, machine writing will be analysed on the basis of its own literary and linguistic techniques, and the effects these
techniques produce, establishing a sort of “machine poetics”.
Uncovering the poetics of these machines then reveals several other concerns. Authorship becomes complicated by the use of algorithms, corpora and other authorial forces. Further, the utility of machine writing to both promulgate and dismantle oppressive structures through unthinking automation is revealed. In exploring these topics, this thesis maps the current climate of machine writing literature and provides insight into what may lie beyond the AI literature frontier.
The impact of video game interactivity on the narrative
As the video game medium's emphasis on narrative evolves, an adequate framework for its study bec... more As the video game medium's emphasis on narrative evolves, an adequate framework for its study becomes necessary. The video game medium's interactivity separates it from established frameworks of literature and film studies, with video game academics classifying games as “simulations” rather than “representations”. In response, this thesis will construct a framework tailored to the video game narrative, drawing on Vladimir Propp and Joseph Campbell's studies of mythology and folklore, as well as narrative theory and game studies (Ludology). This thesis employs Propp and Campbell's work to analyse the Bioshock series and assemble “The Video Game Monomyth”, unveiling the impact of video game interactivity on the narrative. Three key “characters” of the Video Game Monomyth will be analysed. “The Player-Hero” represents both the protagonist and the player, demonstrating the entry point of interactivity into the text. “The NPC Goddess” refers to the force that facilitates the player’s entrance into the text, while also demonstrating representations of women in video games. “The Game World” reveals how the actions of the video game text itself filters the impact of interactivity on the narrative. Through this study, this thesis hopes to create a framework for deployment in future studies of video game narratives.
Papers by Cameron Edmond
RST as Narrative Structure for Node-Based Editors
Despite Narrative Visualisation's (NarVis) proliferation in academic circles, a narrative str... more Despite Narrative Visualisation's (NarVis) proliferation in academic circles, a narrative structure designed to suit the individual challenges and needs of the discipline is yet to mature. We present both a structure and tool for NarVis that remediates narrative form and concepts using Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST). Through RST, we develop a dynamic narrative structure that avoids many of the trappings of traditional narratives. Our RST-based structure has been implemented as a node-based editor, itself part of a broader tool for generating dynamic narrative visualisations. We discuss this tool's theoretical foundations, its implementation, and demonstrate it through a narrative about COVID-19. This paper marks an important step towards establishing a clearer view of the narrative elements of NarVis.
Poetics of the machine: machine writing and the AI literature frontier
Theoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 225-266.Introduction : machine writing -- Chapter 1. Histo... more Theoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 225-266.Introduction : machine writing -- Chapter 1. Historical machines : charting and contextualising machine writing trajectories -- Chapter 2. Collisions of prose and code : adaptation and analysis through machine writing and reading -- Chapter 3. Nauseous machines : subversion through absence in machine writing -- Chapter 4. Noisy machines : the use of noise in machine writing -- Chapter 5. Cyborgs & tarantulas : cut-up, corpora and challenges to authorship -- Chapter 6. Weaponised machines : forging and dismantling oppression through machine writing -- Conclusion : the AI literature frontier -- Reference list.Machine writing is defined in this thesis as the explicit use of computational methods to compose literature. The form has seen a surge in popularity as part of academic and journalistic conversations regarding the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative practices. Currently, creative coders, literary scholars and computer scientists are grappling with what does and does not constitute AI-penned literature, occasionally leading into conversations regarding singularity-type events. This thesis seeks to ground the conversation, focusing on past and present machine writing and evaluating how it relates to the idea of AI literature. To do this, the common theme of comparing literature by machines to literature by humans will be challenged. Through close readings of both output and code, I argue that to understand AI literature, we must explore the poetics and consequences unique to machine writing.In order to highlight changes in the form, this thesis will develop a history of machine writing. Trajectories from the language games of the OuLiPo group and the Beat Generation's cut-up experiments to Twitterbots and algorithmically generated novels will be charted. Through analysis that focuses on both the literary output of these machines and their constraints/codes, the distinctly inhuman qualities of machine writing will be explored. This analysis will reveal the capacity of machine writing to transform texts, create unthinkable worlds, and mirror the anxieties of the information age. In short, machine writing will be analysed on the basis of its own literary and linguistic techniques, and the effects these techniques produce, establishing a sort of "machine poetics".Uncovering the poetics of these machines then reveals several other concerns. Authorship becomes complicated by the use of algorithms, corpora and other authorial forces. Further, the utility of machine writing to both promulgate and dismantle oppressive structures through unthinking automation is revealed. In exploring these topics, this thesis maps the current climate of machine writing literature and provides insight into what may lie beyond the AI literature frontier.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (iv, 266 pages
eXplainable AI (XAI)
Do Machine Learning algorithms have a Soul? Could they understand every day's reality as ... more Do Machine Learning algorithms have a Soul? Could they understand every day's reality as us Humans do? What the consequence of their Creativity? Can they help us to understand the world better?
Three trajectories for narrative visualisation
Visual Informatics, Jun 1, 2021
Abstract Narrative Visualisation (NarVis) is the pairing of data visualisation with narrative tec... more Abstract Narrative Visualisation (NarVis) is the pairing of data visualisation with narrative techniques. Due to its interdisciplinary applications and scholarship, NarVis presentations often feature vastly different interpretations of “narrative” and “visualisation”, which is echoed in NarVis authoring tools. To map the morphology of how the narratives of NarVis manifest, we identify three different trajectories for the field. These trajectories are identified through an analysis of selected NarVis presentations and tools, with an emphasis on identifying how traditional narrative techniques are adopted, transposed or indeed challenged by NarVis examples. We then populate our categories with additional examples and tools, providing a foundational point of reference for NarVis scholars, authors and tool developers.
The poet's other self: studying machine writing through the humanities
Humanity, Nov 14, 2017
ABSTRACT As social discourse moves further and further into online spaces, the creation of fract... more ABSTRACT As social discourse moves further and further into online spaces, the creation of fractured, fluid online identities increases. These online identities, known as “hyperidentities”, do not produce the traditional cultural artefacts of the non-digital past. Memoirs and novels are replaced by tweets and forum posts, seemingly incompatible with traditional forms of literary and media analysis. This article explores the use of “Machine Writing” – the creation of texts via computational methods – as a methodology for understanding online cultures. By using code to wrangle the textual artefacts created by online communities, such as tweets or forum posts, online identities can be unified into long-form pieces of prose or poetry that are ripe for analysis and critique. This article will introduce the concept of Machine Writing as a creative practice that intersects with the Digital Humanity’s “Distant Reading” methodology, through a transformation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven using the Machine Writing technique Mathews’ Algorithm. The article will then interrogate the concept of hyperidentities by analysing three Machine Written texts born from them: Ranjit Bhatnagar’s I got an alligator for a pet! and You Can’t Write If You Can’t Relate , and Studio Moniker’s All The Minutes.
The impact of video game interactivity on the narrative
"This thesis is presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master ... more "This thesis is presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Research at Macquarie University".Bibliography: pages 79-85.Introduction -- Chapter 1. The player-hero: a hollow sphere -- Chapter 2. The NPC goddess: a bridge between spheres -- Chapter 3. The game world: the ultimate controller of interactivity -- Conclusion.As the video game medium's emphasis on narrative evolves, an adequate framework for its study becomes necessary. The video game medium's interactivity separates it from established frameworks of literature and film studies, with video game academics classifying games as “simulations” rather than “representations”. In response, this thesis will construct a framework tailored to the video game narrative, drawing on Vladimir Propp and Joseph Campbell's studies of mythology and folklore, as well as narrative theory and game studies (Ludology). This thesis employs Propp and Campbell's work to analyse the Bioshock series and assemble “The Video Game Monomyth”, unveiling the impact of video game interactivity on the narrative. Three key “characters” of the Video Game Monomyth will be analysed. “The Player-Hero” represents both the protagonist and the player, demonstrating the entry point of interactivity into the text. “The NPC Goddess” refers to the force that facilitates the player’s entrance into the text, while also demonstrating representations of women in video games. “The Game World” reveals how the actions of the video game text itself filters the impact of interactivity on the narrative. Through this study, this thesis hopes to create a framework for deployment in future studies of video game narratives.Mode of access: World wide webThe Appendix section of this thesis has been omitted due to copyright restrictions. It contains video game screenshots.1 online resource ( 101 pages ) illustrations (some coloured
Creating 3D worlds through storytelling and narration
While contemporary game engine tools have allowed a lower barrier of entry into creating 3D envir... more While contemporary game engine tools have allowed a lower barrier of entry into creating 3D environments, many rely on engineering, architectural or cartographic approaches. While useful, this usually facilitates very particular methods of 3D space creation. In this paper, we present our tool for creating 3D spaces through the use of narration and storytelling as an interface. Our platform utilizes voice recognition to allow users to narrate a story or event and have elements of the story appear in 3D space as virtual objects in real-time. Through further voice commands or the use of drag-and-drop controls, users can then reconfigure these objects to better suit their story or create new variations of the story. Our platform is designed for immersive systems such as VR HMDs, 3D-enabled cylindrical screens, stereo walls, and non-immersive ones such as desktops and tablets allowing for accessibility and collaboration. A novel contribution of this paper is this method of building worlds through narration. To provide some insight into its capabilities and the reasoning behind design decisions, an account of constructing the story Lessons in Vinyl within the tool during early development is presented.
In That Tyrant's Pow'r: Artbots and Collisions with Social Crisis
In the post-truth era, the term "bot" is used to describe automated social media accoun... more In the post-truth era, the term "bot" is used to describe automated social media accounts spreading misinformation, as well as humans acting behind "dummy" accounts. However, the ways that bots intersect with political and social discourse on social media is far more textured. Bots that generate flash fictions, text art or other pieces often intersect with the political and social discourses on Twitter in both uncomfortable and triumphant fashion.These "artbots", unlike misinformation bots, are inherently hypermedial, always reminding the audience of their automatic nature. The ideal artbot is sincere, and the generative patterns they follow are often transparent. Consequently, these bots occupy a different space in the post-truth social media discourse. They are not malicious automations to be shut-down, nor are they human posters engaging intelligently in conversation. Artbots post indiscriminatorily: they innocently follow their patterns of generativ...
Poetics of the machine: machine writing and the AI literature frontier
Macquarie University, 2019
Machine writing is defined in this thesis as the explicit use of computational methods to compose... more Machine writing is defined in this thesis as the explicit use of computational methods to compose literature. The form has seen a surge in popularity as part of academic and journalistic conversations regarding the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative practices. Currently, creative coders, literary scholars and computer scientists are grappling with what does and does not constitute AI-penned literature, occasionally leading into conversations regarding singularity-type events. This thesis seeks to ground the conversation, focusing on past and present machine writing and evaluating how it relates to the idea of AI literature. To do this, the common theme of comparing literature by machines to literature by humans will be challenged. Through close readings of both output and code, I argue that to understand AI literature, we must explore the poetics and consequences unique to machine writing. In order to highlight changes in the form, this thesis will develop a history of machine writing. Trajectories from the language games of the OuLiPo group and the Beat Generation’s cut-up experiments to Twitterbots and algorithmically generated novels will be charted. Through analysis that focuses on both the literary output of these machines and their constraints/codes, the distinctly inhuman qualities of machine writing will be explored. This analysis will reveal the capacity of machine writing to transform texts, create unthinkable worlds, and mirror the anxieties of the information age. In short, machine writing will be analysed on the basis of its own literary and linguistic techniques, and the effects these techniques produce, establishing a sort of “machine poetics”. Uncovering the poetics of these machines then reveals several other concerns. Authorship becomes complicated by the use of algorithms, corpora and other authorial forces. Further, the utility of machine writing to both promulgate and dismantle oppressive structures through unthinking automation is revealed. In exploring these topics, this thesis maps the current climate of machine writing literature and provides insight into what may lie beyond the AI literature frontier.
RST as Narrative Structure for Node-Based Editors
The 14th International Symposium on Visual Information Communication and Interaction, 2021
Despite Narrative Visualisation's (NarVis) proliferation in academic circles, a narrative str... more Despite Narrative Visualisation's (NarVis) proliferation in academic circles, a narrative structure designed to suit the individual challenges and needs of the discipline is yet to mature. We present both a structure and tool for NarVis that remediates narrative form and concepts using Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST). Through RST, we develop a dynamic narrative structure that avoids many of the trappings of traditional narratives. Our RST-based structure has been implemented as a node-based editor, itself part of a broader tool for generating dynamic narrative visualisations. We discuss this tool's theoretical foundations, its implementation, and demonstrate it through a narrative about COVID-19. This paper marks an important step towards establishing a clearer view of the narrative elements of NarVis.
Creating 3D worlds through storytelling and narration
32nd Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, 2020
While contemporary game engine tools have allowed a lower barrier of entry into creating 3D envir... more While contemporary game engine tools have allowed a lower barrier of entry into creating 3D environments, many rely on engineering, architectural or cartographic approaches. While useful, this usually facilitates very particular methods of 3D space creation. In this paper, we present our tool for creating 3D spaces through the use of narration and storytelling as an interface. Our platform utilizes voice recognition to allow users to narrate a story or event and have elements of the story appear in 3D space as virtual objects in real-time. Through further voice commands or the use of drag-and-drop controls, users can then reconfigure these objects to better suit their story or create new variations of the story. Our platform is designed for immersive systems such as VR HMDs, 3D-enabled cylindrical screens, stereo walls, and non-immersive ones such as desktops and tablets allowing for accessibility and collaboration. A novel contribution of this paper is this method of building worlds through narration. To provide some insight into its capabilities and the reasoning behind design decisions, an account of constructing the story Lessons in Vinyl within the tool during early development is presented.
The poet's other self: studying machine writing through the humanities
Humanity, 2017
As social discourse moves further and further into online spaces, the creation of fractured, flui... more As social discourse moves further and further into online spaces, the creation of fractured, fluid online identities increases. These online identities, known as “hyperidentities”, do not produce the traditional cultural artefacts of the non-digital past. Memoirs and novels are replaced by tweets and forum posts, seemingly incompatible with traditional forms of literary and media analysis. This article explores the use of “Machine Writing” – the creation of texts via computational methods – as a methodology for understanding online cultures. By using code to wrangle the textual artefacts created by online communities, such as tweets or forum posts, online identities can be unified into long-form pieces of prose or poetry that are ripe for analysis and critique. This article will introduce the concept of Machine Writing as a creative practice that intersects with the Digital Humanity’s “Distant Reading” methodology, through a transformation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven using the M...
Three trajectories for narrative visualisation
Narrative Visualisation (NarVis) is the pairing of data visualisation with narrative techniques. ... more Narrative Visualisation (NarVis) is the pairing of data visualisation with narrative techniques. Due to its interdisciplinary applications and scholarship, NarVis presentations often feature vastly different interpretations of “narrative” and “visualisation”, which is echoed in NarVis authoring tools. To map the morphology of how the narratives of NarVis manifest, we identify three different trajectories for the field. These trajectories are identified through an analysis of selected NarVis presentations and tools, with an emphasis on identifying how traditional narrative techniques are adopted, transposed or indeed challenged by NarVis examples. We then populate our categories with additional examples and tools, providing a foundational point of reference for NarVis scholars, authors and tool developers.
eXplainable AI (XAI)
SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 Courses
SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 Courses, 2020
Do Machine Learning algorithms have a Soul? Could they understand every day's reality as us Human... more Do Machine Learning algorithms have a Soul? Could they understand every day's reality as us Humans do? What the consequence of their Creativity? Can they help us to understand the world better?
The Poet’s Other Self: Studying Machine Writing through the Humanities
As social discourse moves further and further into online spaces, the creation of fractured, flui... more As social discourse moves further and further into online spaces, the creation of fractured, fluid online identities increases. These online identities, known as “hyperidentities”, do not produce the traditional cultural artefacts of the non-digital past. Memoirs and novels are replaced by tweets and forum posts, seemingly incompatible with traditional forms of literary and media analysis.
This article explores the use of “Machine Writing” – the creation of texts via computational methods – as a methodology for understanding online cultures. By using code to wrangle the textual artefacts created by online communities, such as tweets or forum posts, online identities can be unified into long-form pieces of prose or poetry that are ripe for analysis and critique. This article will introduce the concept of Machine Writing as a creative practice that intersects with the Digital Humanity’s “Distant Reading” methodology, through a transformation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven using the Machine Writing technique Mathews’ Algorithm. The article will then interrogate the concept of hyperidentities by analysing three Machine Written texts born from them: Ranjit Bhatnagar’s I got an alligator for a pet! and You Can’t Write If You Can’t Relate, and Studio Moniker’s All The Minutes.
Conference Presentations by Cameron Edmond
Creating 3D worlds through storytelling and narration
OzCHI '20: 32nd Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, 2020
While contemporary game engine tools have allowed a lower barrier of entry into creating 3D envir... more While contemporary game engine tools have allowed a lower barrier of entry into creating 3D environments, many rely on engineering, architectural or cartographic approaches. While useful, this usually facilitates very particular methods of 3D space creation. In this paper, we present our tool for creating 3D spaces through the use of narration and storytelling as an interface. Our platform utilizes voice recognition to allow users to narrate a story or event and have elements of the story appear in 3D space as virtual objects in real-time. Through further voice commands or the use of drag-and-drop controls, users can then reconfigure these objects to better suit their story or create new variations of the story. Our platform is designed for immersive systems such as VR HMDs, 3D-enabled cylindrical screens, stereo walls, and non-immersive ones such as desktops and tablets allowing for accessibility and collaboration. A novel contribution of this paper is this method of building worlds through narration. To provide some insight into its capabilities and the reasoning behind design decisions, an account of constructing the story Lessons in Vinyl within the tool during early development is presented.
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Thesis Chapters by Cameron Edmond
In order to highlight changes in the form, this thesis will develop a history of machine writing. Trajectories from the language games of the OuLiPo group and the Beat Generation’s
cut-up experiments to Twitterbots and algorithmically generated novels will be charted. Through analysis that focuses on both the literary output of these machines and their
constraints/codes, the distinctly inhuman qualities of machine writing will be explored. This analysis will reveal the capacity of machine writing to transform texts, create unthinkable
worlds, and mirror the anxieties of the information age. In short, machine writing will be analysed on the basis of its own literary and linguistic techniques, and the effects these
techniques produce, establishing a sort of “machine poetics”.
Uncovering the poetics of these machines then reveals several other concerns. Authorship becomes complicated by the use of algorithms, corpora and other authorial forces. Further, the utility of machine writing to both promulgate and dismantle oppressive structures through unthinking automation is revealed. In exploring these topics, this thesis maps the current climate of machine writing literature and provides insight into what may lie beyond the AI literature frontier.
Papers by Cameron Edmond
This article explores the use of “Machine Writing” – the creation of texts via computational methods – as a methodology for understanding online cultures. By using code to wrangle the textual artefacts created by online communities, such as tweets or forum posts, online identities can be unified into long-form pieces of prose or poetry that are ripe for analysis and critique. This article will introduce the concept of Machine Writing as a creative practice that intersects with the Digital Humanity’s “Distant Reading” methodology, through a transformation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven using the Machine Writing technique Mathews’ Algorithm. The article will then interrogate the concept of hyperidentities by analysing three Machine Written texts born from them: Ranjit Bhatnagar’s I got an alligator for a pet! and You Can’t Write If You Can’t Relate, and Studio Moniker’s All The Minutes.
Conference Presentations by Cameron Edmond