Deep Time of Latent Space

Eric Souther

2024 / 10 minutes
United States
English

Deep Time of Latent Space explores the strata of human activity within large language models as a new layer of the Anthropocene, placing AI within the framework of geological thinking that extends into deep time and projects into the future. The AI narrator guides us through some of the most incomprehensible moments in history, from the Big Bang and the formation of Earth to the origins of life. Using its vast, generalized knowledge, the AI resolves our understanding of these events into data- visualized images, conveying them with confidence—and a touch of attitude. However, it frequently “hallucinates” offering distorted interpretations that reveal the importance of developing a more ethical and accurate AI.

The film also features The Jefferson Project at Lake George, which uses local and specific data to understand the impact of human activity on freshwater ecosystems and how to mitigate these effects. In a short interview, Dr. Jeremy Farrell explains how the project employs machine learning to create predictive models that analyze past patterns and help guide future preservation efforts, providing a valuable case study in the importance of localized, self-generated data. Lake George serves as a site of deep time and holds art historical significance. During the 19th century, at the birth of geology, it became a popular subject for painters of the Hudson River School, including John Frederick Kensett and Thomas Cole, who depicted its rocky shores. This period marked a pivotal shift from the biblical 6,000-year age of the Earth to the modern concept of deep time, spanning billions of years—a shift that encourages long-term thinking. The implications of this deep time perspective offer another vital framework for shaping the future of AI.