The Computerized Confessional

AI Interactive chatbot priest, 1984/2024

In 1984, when I was studying graphic design at San Jose State University, I took the first offering of a new course in “Computers in Art and Design”. Inspired by Joseph Weizenbaum’s critial chatbot demonstration project from the early 1960’s, “Doctor”, or more widely know as “ELIZA”, the computerized therapist, I created my first interactive artwork. The “Computerized Confessional” invited users to kneel at an Apple II computer and go through the process of Catholic confession. I had been raised attending Catholic schools in San Francisco and thought this would be an appropriate and creative critical riff on Weizenbaum’s concept. This work was made in a largely pre-digital era – automatic bank teller machines were just being introduced, personal computers were, as of this time, quite rare. I meant this as a transgressive act and at the same time the work represented my emerging atheism, but perhaps more importantly, it is the first project I created that reflected my sceptical engagement with digital technologies. It was intended then, and now, as a critique of emerging ideas and practices involving so-called “Artificial Intelligence” (AI).

This new version was developed from memory, I have one photograph of the original piece as most of my slides were destroyed in a flood of my studio in 2005. We added sound to this version, including the voice of the digital priest, this was not possible in 1984. Special thanks to Maya Hilbert for her technical and creative help with remaking this project for the exhibition Algorithms of Resistence at CUNY.

Access The Computerized Confessional here, confess your sins! https://www.newmediartspace.info/exhibitions/2024_joseph-delappe_algorithms-of-resistance/confessional.html