Are you smarter than a computer? New Exploratorium exhibition puts AI to the test

San Francisco Chronicle​

5 days ago

If the Exploratorium's newest exhibition is already the most popular, it's also one of the quietest.
'Adventures in AI' puts visitors of all ages face-to-face with different forms of artificial intelligence, forcing them to confront their qualms and explore the various applications of the rapidly developing technology.
But it does so with an uncharacteristic calm and quiet that contrasts from the rest of the museum's summertime buzz.
Doug Thistlewolf, the waterfront museum's manager of exhibit development, attributes the vibe shift to how deeply it engrosses visitors.
'We really wanted to shape this show into something that was engaging for people (and) met them where their fears are or their excitement is,' he told the Chronicle. 'Everybody's kind of got a different entry point.'
The show runs through Sept. 14, featuring 20 exhibits and eight artworks. Its range of hands-on experiences allow visitors of all ages to interact with AI, investigating ethical and environmental concerns and exploring the ways in which it can detect objects, engage in conversation and more. One challenges visitors to make shadow puppets for the technology to recognize, while another allows participants to train it with photos taken at the exhibition.
'I think it's a good way for everyone to get their hands wet in AI and (see) what it's all about,' East Bay resident Tim Wong, 60, said during a recent trip to the exhibition with his family. 'Especially for the younger kids, the term is thrown around a lot, and it's going to be a big part of their world when they grow up.'
The exhibition is organized around a central plaza filled with AI-related pieces for visitors to play with, from a 9-foot-tall robotic hand to a giant thought-provoking distorted mirror. From there, it branches off into more in-depth topics such as social impacts and bias.
Thistlewolf noted that 'Adventures in AI' has drawn a diverse array of demographics since opening last month, from families and children's summer camp groups to tech insiders and Gen Zers.
While many of the adults, like Wong, have expressed excitement about the technology, some of the Exploratorium's younger visitors weren't as convinced.
'I think it's pretty cool how the AI can think of things, but I think it definitely needs to work on its thinking of concepts,' Luna Fischer Loya, 11, said during a trip to the museum with her grandmother. 'Sometimes I get a little intimidated by it.'
Similarly skeptical of the technology, even after exploring the exhibition, 10-year-old Bruce Black admitted that AI is still 'a little bit scary' to him.
'It made me feel a little uncertain of what's going to happen,' he said after exploring a few exhibits. 'There are people saying that AI would take over the world, and I'm like, 'If that's going to happen, why am I using it? ''
The Sacramento resident visited the Exploratorium with his mother, 34-year-old Abbie Black, who had a more positive outlook. She noted that as long as AI doesn't replace humans' jobs and is used for 'making life easier,' she's all for it.
Thistlewolf acknowledged the broad range of feelings toward AI. 'There's a lot of nuance,' he said, adding that at the very least, he hopes that visitors can leave 'Adventures in AI' with a more thorough understanding.
'We're not trying to force people to change their opinion,' he said.
'We know that people are afraid,' he added. 'But they're probably afraid of the wrong thing.'