In 2050, when I was 20…

A collective sound work, a performance and a publication

Artistic design: Magali Desbazeille
Artistic collaboration: Julie Valero
Technical direction and sound design: Emilie Zawadzki
Development: Typhaine Le Galès
Ergonomics: Russels Studio
Illustration: Maylis Gérard<
With the participation of students and researchers from the University of Orleans
Executive production: CieASAP – Co-production: University of Orleans

A survey of digital uses and imaginaries among workers, students, researchers in IA

Here, the LINK for the prototype

Sound models of combinatorial poetry

Description

In 2050, when I was 20… takes three artistic forms: a collaborative digital creation at the crossroads of sound art and combinatorial poetry, a performance, and a publication.

In 2050, when I was 20… questions the uses and imaginations of digital technology for their societal and intimate, political and poetic, scientific and imaginary dimensions. In the form of retro-fiction, In 2050, when I was 20… puts into perspective the history of uses, imaginations, and their futures.

What did we think would happen in the year 2000? What are we expecting in 2025? What are our hopes for 2050? How will we view 2025 in a few decades? And in 2050, what models of society will we dream of? How will the internet evolve if 90% of its content is generated by AI? What wonders continue to inspire us? What models of society does AI allow us to dream of?

My intention, in exploring the uses and imaginations of digital technology, is to try to understand and then convey the stories of society that are woven across several generations.

In 2025-2026, Magali Desbazeille is an artist-in-residence at the University of Orleans, where she is conducting researches and workshops with students and researchers.

As an example, here are a few sentences written by the participants during fall 2025:

In 2000, when I was 20, I didn’t think I would find love thanks with artificial intelligence.
In 2000, when I was 20, we believed that digital tools were facilitators. It was positive and we were confident.
In the year 2000, when I was 20, in computer science, we believed that classifying was recognizing.

In 2025, when I was 20, with AI, we thought about what we didn’t want, but we didn’t think about what we did want!
In 2025, when I was 20, my uncle had his cards read by AI.
In 2025, when I was 20, you had to spend a lot of time learning to the machine and then evaluating the machine!
In 2025, when I was 20, the use of ChatGPT widened the gap between students who were already strong and used it wisely, and students who were struggling and had ChatGPT do their homework without understanding it.
In 2025, when I was 20, we believed that the explainability of artificial intelligence results was essential.
In 2025, when I was 20, with automation delegated to machines, there was no respite.
In 2025, when I was 20, the imagination was largely fueled: the magical aspect of LLMs such as ChatGPT was pervasive. The promise was kept.

In 2050, when I was 20, I thought AI would help us rebuild a world destroyed by World War III.
In 2050, when I was 20, I thought AI would change our lives!
In 2050, when I was 20, technology had solved all our problems.