用艺术转译危机:让不可见的数据与机器智能触手可及 TED 2026-07-19

用具身艺术重构感知桥梁

我们正生活在一个被各种棘手问题(Wicked Problems: 极其复杂、难以界定且没有单一标准解决方案的系统性危机)所包围的时代。从气候变化的加剧,到人工智能的迅猛崛起,再到人类自身生存状态的异化,这些危机在规模上庞大得超出了个体的日常感知。人类的生理与心理机制使我们能够敏锐地察觉指尖被纸张划破的微小痛觉,却对整个星球正在发生的生态崩溃感到迟钝。在对效率和“进步”的无休止追逐中,我们把自然生态与自己亲手创造的技术转化为了对人类自身的根本性威胁。这种自我撕裂的吊诡之处在于,我们一方面在摧毁赖以生存的唯一家园,另一方面也在危及界定人类本质的智能根基,由此带来了弥漫在整个社会中的深刻焦虑。

然而,这种崩溃并非毫无预兆。事实上,当代人类拥有比历史上任何时期都要庞大和详尽的数据集,但讽刺的是,客观现实在我们的体感中却显得更加遥不可及。我们沉溺在海量的信息海洋中,却极度匮乏对信息的深度理解与意义建构。由于这种“理解链条”的断裂,导致当下面临的系统性危机变得异常冰冷和抽象,人们也因而丧失了与危机建立情感连接并投以关切的能力。正因如此,站在艺术与技术的交汇点上,重构连接数据与人类共情桥梁的使命应运而生。这需要我们致力于将不可见的事物可视化、具身化,把宏大的、冰冷的数据指标转化为能够被人类身体直接感知的物理体验,让抽象的问题变得触手可及,从而重新唤起人们的关切与行动。

Original English Source

This is a glimpse into one of my artworks, "Vanishing." What you see, this is a tribute to the species extinguished by us, humanity. I dedicate my career to translating the invisible crisis of our time as vividly as the images before you. That includes climate change, artificial intelligence, and even the crisis of our own humanity. We're living in an era of wicked problems. The crises are so massive that we cannot grasp them. We can feel a paper cut, but we cannot feel a collapsing planet. In an endless chase of progress, we have turned our nature and technology into monumental threats. Paradoxically, we have devastated the very habitat we live in and jeopardized the very intelligence that makes us human. The result is great anxiety. But we must ask ourselves, was this collapse truly unseen? We have more data than any generation in history, yet reality feels further away. We're drowning in information but starving for meaning. The chain of understanding is broken, leaving our crisis so cold and abstract. We have lost the connection and the ability to care. Living at the intersection of art and technology, I felt an irresistible urge to rebuild that bridge. My mission became clear: to render the invisible visible. I want to translate these wicked problems into physical experiences so that we can truly care. But how do we translate the intangibles? Let me take you on my journey.

数据转译:重连人与自然

要将那些不可捉摸的抽象事物转化为实在的体验,最直接的切入点就是地球上最宝贵的资源——水。尽管地球表面覆盖着大片水域,但如果将所有可供人类使用的淡水资源聚拢,实际上只相当于一个微小的水滴。预测表明,到2050年,全球将有一半的人口面临清洁水源匮乏的危机,而在当下,这早已是许多地区不得不面对的残酷现实。为了揭示全球水危机的严重程度,我们需要打通复杂科学数据与创意叙事之间的鸿沟。通过与谷歌(Google)和美国航空航天局(NASA)的深度合作,获得了独家访问NASA重力恢复与气候实验卫星数据的珍贵机会,这一极具科研价值的数据源最终成为了互动艺术作品《水的旅程》(Passage of Water)的灵魂。

在传统的呈现方式中,卫星监测数据只是各种颜色混杂的二维热力图或繁琐的数值,非专业人士极难洞察其背后的深刻含义。而通过重构数据的交互界面,历时20余年的全球水循环演变模式被重塑为了一幅随时间呼吸起伏的三维数字景观。在谷歌的交互平台上,用户可以手动调节时间轴,直观对比2002年与2023年之间的水资源变化。在这种情境下,数据不再仅仅是冰冷客观的数字,而转化为了直观的身体本能。艺术创意在此处并非装饰性的奢侈品,而是一种不可或缺的底层转译语言。这种语言能够将庞大抽象的全球危机拆解、重构,变成人们能够触碰、感知并产生情感共鸣的具体经验。在第28届联合国气候变化大会(COP28)上,无论是气候学家、政策制定者,还是长期遭受水资源短缺困扰的原住民,在这一作品面前表现出的动容与反思,充分验证了艺术作为“失落的连接纽带”,在重建人类与环境的情感联结中拥有无可替代的感召力量。

Original English Source

I began with the most vital data set: the Earth, specifically, our water. Look at this single tiny drop. It holds all the Earth's fresh water. Half of humanity will lack clean water by 2050. And many already do. To expose the crisis of this vital resource, I spent an intense year with Google. They were searching for an artist to bridge the gap between complex data and creative storytelling. And an amazing door opened. NASA joined the team to offer me an exclusive access to the satellite data. This rare gift became the soul of my artwork "Passage of Water." My goal is to turn these NASA numbers into visceral experiences, dramatize them so that we can truly see and feel what is happening to our fresh water. Look at this. This is the raw satellite data that captures the water situation. We have the most sophisticated technology of our time. But who can actually understand what is happening here? What happens if we change the interface? I spent months obsessing over how to turn these number’s grave, and now I can present the outcome to you. What you see is 20 years of water patterns turned into a breathing landscape. This is “Passage of Water.” It lives on Google's platform, designed for you to fully interact with. Let's see the dramatic change between 2002 and 2023. We are losing our fresh water fast, and we are the reason. Here, the numbers become instinct. You don't just see the data, you feel it. And this is where artistic creativity becomes an essential, not a luxury. It is a language that allows me to tackle those wicked problems and turn them into something we can grasp. We brought this project to COP28. There we spoke with climate scientists, policymakers, Indigenous people who face water scarcity every day. Seeing their reactions in front of my artwork gave me absolute certainty. Art is the vital bridge, a missing link that has undeniable power to restore our lost connection.

解构黑盒:重拾智能主体性

如果说生态危机是关于自然世界的显性挑战,那么人工智能则构成了当代人类面临的另一重更为深邃的精神与智力危机。在今天,AI已经无孔不入地渗透进了我们生活的每一个角落。然而,一个令人不安的事实隐藏在极其丝滑和友好的用户界面背后:AI为我们输出极其精准和惊艳的结果,但其内在的推导逻辑和处理过程却完全处于不可见的黑幕之中。这正是我们将其定义为“黑盒”的原因。当这些算法开始越来越多地主宰并决定人类社会的未来走向,我们有必要拆解其运作逻辑,审视这些不可见的决策机制。为此,研究团队发起并完成了名为《SoTA》(State of the Art: 描述机器处理能力的黄金标准)的交互艺术项目。

AI在生成文本或图像时,本质上并非施展魔法,而是基于庞大而复杂的人工神经网络(Artificial Neural Network: 由大量互联的数字神经元组成的数学预测架构)进行计算。许多人可能会直觉地认为这些复杂的网络架构只是单调划一的网格,但当我们真正切入内部结构时,会发现它们其实呈现出极具差异性的动态拓扑形态。该项目将118个不同AI模型的底层数学架构进行了三维可视化,以极其生动的方式呈现了数字神经元在不同几何结构中的连接与激发状态。模型的空间几何形状,在根本上决定了它处理和生成图像、文本或声音的特质。为了真正理解这种机器智能,我们必须先看清其结构形态。当抽象计算被投射到三维的物理或虚拟空间中,当一个大语言模型(LLM)如何计算和预测补全一个句子的数学轨迹被具象化地展现出来时,原本神秘的算法规则也随之去魅。通过手机端等便携式设备,人们不仅可以观看这些模型,更能够与其交互和“嬉戏”。这种打破神秘感、建立感官理解的过程,正是人类在机器智能时代重拾自身主体性的重要起点。

Original English Source

But now we face [an] even deeper crisis, one that challenges the very definitions of human intelligence. The unfathomable AI. Here you are, 2026, and AI is everywhere. The technology is advancing at a staggering pace, and we have to accept an uncomfortable truth. The machines are replacing parts of us. But the real danger is hidden behind the slick interfaces. AI gives us brilliant results, but the logic, the process -- that remains a total mystery. And that is exactly why we call it a black box. If these algorithms are deciding our future, shouldn't we talk about the invisibles, the hidden logic governing our lives? That is why I created this project with my students in my research lab. We wanted to open the black box to illuminate what's inside. The title of this project is "SoTA," short for state of the art. In the world of engineering, it means to describe the gold standard of machine capability. AI that generates our images or the text isn’t just magic, it's a complex mathematical structure. Digital neurons cluster into a network, processing data through multiple hidden layers. But aren't you curious if these architectures are all the same? You might assume that they are all identical grids, but as we looked deeper, we found [them] far more diverse. What you see is living architecture of 118 AI models visualized. See how digital neurons connect and fire with [their] own unique geometry. The shape decides how to generate images, text, or sounds. To understand their intelligence, we need to see the shape first. Let's take a closer look at "SoTA." I will show you how LLM calculates and completes a single sentence. This is how a machine works. A complex mathematical prediction governed by its architecture. This is the invisible logic of our time. When we bring the hidden machinery into the physical world, the artificial finally becomes tangible. To experience the shape of AI is to demystify it. As you can see here, you can access this artwork on your mobile. Don’t just watch them -- play with the models. This isn't just about overcoming anxiety. It is the very first step to reclaiming our human agency.

光之架构:终极生命网络

仅仅停留在对现状的理解是远远不够的,建立清晰认知的最终目的是为了共同参与未来发展轨迹的塑造。过去,我们的数字艺术作品大多依赖于平面屏幕或光影投影来呈现,但有一种本能的渴望促使我们把这种无形的机器智能拉入真实的物理空间,构建起一种观众可以用整个肉体置身其中并体验的沉浸式装置。这促成了实体艺术装置《光之架构》(Light Architecture)的诞生。在《光之架构》中,AI算法以极其物理的方式开始“呼吸”。投影中的扁平像素被转化为悬浮在物理空间中的独立发光网络模块,我们将其命名为“神经元模块”(neural parts)。这些实体模块在物理空间中闪烁律动,而其控制逻辑完全由真实的神经网络算法驱动。在这里,观众不再是AI的局外观察者,而是走进了机器智能的“大脑内部”。

采用环形结构的灵感,源自对人类大脑皮层的仿生学观察。人脑在将信息从大脑皮层向深层结构传递时,展现出了极其灵活、可塑的非凡机制,这正是目前的人工神经网络所无法企及的。面对如此强大的生物演化奇迹,我们应当反思:我们是否在真正训练、激发自己的大脑?还是在对AI被动依赖与被机器取代的恐慌中,任由我们自身的创造力与好奇心逐渐萎缩?《光之架构》所抛出的终极追问在于:如果未来的AI习得了这种神经形态仿生流畅性(Neuromorphic Fluidity: 模拟生物脑神经突触可塑性与高流动性的计算模式),机器与人类的边界又将落在何处?这是否是我们所期望的未来图景?当观众在完全的黑暗中穿行于耀眼且律动的光网之间,这种庞大感不仅是美学上的震撼,更是一次关于个体角色定位的深刻叩问。我们必须意识到,自然、人类与技术绝非相互割裂的对立面,而是同一个深度交织、不可分割的生命网络。只有拥抱这种深度的生命共生与系统性缠绕,才是人类解决当今诸多“棘手问题”的终极出路。

Original English Source

But we don't want to stop at mere understanding. Clarity is just the foundation. Our true task is not to see the presence, but to shape the future. While my previous works primarily existed within digital projections and displays, I felt a strong yearning to pull this intelligence into tangible forms. I wanted to make an overwhelming experience, something that you don't just look at, but something you inhabit with your body. We are at a threshold to co-design our future with AI. We must ask, "What is the shape of future AI?" I built a physical answer to that question, and this is "Light Architecture." In "Light Architecture," AI takes a physical breath. These modules are no longer flat pixels. They are living neurons, and I call them neural parts. They pulse with light, move through space, running on the exact logic of AI. Here you don't just watch a model. You stand inside the mind of a machine. Together they form a circular network, feeding data into a central projection to manifest the final outputs. See the light spills outward, filling the voids. It transforms the entire room into one giant living black box. Why a circular formation? Because I found my inspiration in [the] human brain. Our brains have an incredible mechanism moving data from [the] cortex to deeper layers with the flexibility that AI cannot yet replicate. But it makes me wonder, with this incredible power in our heads, are we genuinely training it? Or [are] we simply leaning on AI, paralyzed by the fear of being replaced by a machine, only to let our creativity and curiosity wither? I designed a circular formation to raise a question. What if AI learns this neuromorphic fluidity? What would that future look like? And more importantly, is that the future we want? As you walk through the blinding lights in absolute darkness, you feel the vastness of AI. Is our fate to become just data providers? Is this intelligence lighting our way or pulling us deeper into the dark? I shared how I transformed these wicked problems into immersive experiences. This is who I am. I'm an artist who builds bridges. I collaborate with scientists. I build systems, and I connect the physical and the virtual. My art is about building spaces where you can step inside the unseen. I do this because I believe one simple truth: that we are all deeply entangled. Nature, humanity, technology. They are not separate entities. It is not “us” versus “them” or human versus machine. It is one living network. And embracing this connection is the only way to solve our wicked problems. Let this light be my final message. I hope it shines not just on our data but on a shared vision. By standing together, we can face the unknown and create a world where we can finally belong. Thank you. (Applause)

📌 文中提及的人物和组织

公司/组织: Google, NASA

产品/模型: SoTA, Passage of Water, Light Architecture

关键字: data-visualization human-agency interactive-art neuromorphic-computing