Symbiosis of Agents by Baoyang Chen redefines AI art through physical presence
Symbiosis of Agents, a pioneering installation by artist Baoyang Chen, reimagines the interaction between artificial intelligence and contemporary art through an embodied, spatial format.
Rather than limiting AI’s role to generative visual output, Chen deploys physical robots programmed by large language models to move autonomously in a gallery space.
Their presence alters the traditional viewing experience by making the audience part of a shared environment where both human and machine observe and react. This innovative approach not only deepens immersion but reframes the very act of perception within technologically mediated settings.
These robotic agents follow a structured three-tiered behavioral framework. At the micro-level, real-time decisions are driven by policies similar to reinforcement learning, allowing the agents to adapt responsively to environmental stimuli.
At the meso-level, these micro actions are shaped by broader motivations, such as guarding a delicate object based on the system’s evolving priorities. This intermediate layer acts as a translation mechanism between abstract directives and real-time execution.
At the macro level lies a conceptual “faith system,” authored by the artist and interpreted by AI, which sets the moral or aesthetic parameters for the robots’ choices. This top layer draws a parallel to procedural art traditions, where instructions become the creative core.
Set within a speculative Martian narrative, Baoyang Chen’s installation imagines AI robots as terraformers preparing the planet for human settlement. This scenario prompts viewers to question the ethics of automation in labor, particularly when the tasks resemble exploitative histories of forced or marginalized workforces.
A single, live tree in the gallery operates as a fragile icon of hope and ambition, a biological anomaly placed amid intelligent machines performing unseen, continuous labor.
The installation does not rely on direct user interaction; instead, it redefines interactivity by responding to viewers’ passive presence. A quadruped robot equipped with sensors tracks motion and adjusts behavior accordingly.
This subtle reciprocity generates an evolving relationship between observer and system. What results is an environment where perception and reaction are intertwined, and the boundary between subject and object dissolves into mutual influence.
Rather than treating creativity as a static output, Baoyang Chen’s work questions whether machines, through dynamic policies, can approach autonomy or intention. These agents are not simply executing code; they are participating in a behavioral ecosystem that adapts and evolves.
This perspective challenges common metrics of machine creativity by emphasizing process, decision-making, and environmental responsiveness.
Philosophically grounded in Heidegger’s idea of “worlding,” the Baoyang Chen’s installation becomes a co-constructed experience.
The robots, human viewers, and guiding principles continually reshape one another, producing an artwork that lives in the flux of its relationships.
In this way, Symbiosis of Agents not only engages with emerging technology but also invites reflection on deeper questions of agency, authorship, and the human condition in a machine-augmented future.
All images courtesy of Baoyang Chen
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