They Look at Me, I Look Back at Them/ Lines on my hands/ My past, my future 2024
Sound design by Prasanna Khawale
The film investigates the pervasive reality of mass data surveillance in today’s society. Shoshana Zuboff’s surveillance capitalism is central to this discussion, as it illustrates how human experiences are often taken as free raw material for conversion into behavioural data. While some of this data may be used for improvements of products or services, much of it is categorized as proprietary behavioral surplus, funneled into advanced machine learning algorithms to create predictive models that again anticipate our actions and behavior. Using counter-surveillance as a strategy, the film zeroes in on a specific building in Gandhinagar, where Google has leased office space. From different vantage points, it maps the entirety of the office building and its surroundings.
The film further draws a parallel between artificial intelligence and astrology and palmistry. It references the massive business of astrology in India, suggesting a cultural resonance with the idea of prediction. It plays with the paradox of artificial intelligence and machine learning, hailed as revolutionary technological innovations, yet failing to accurately render the nuances of a human hand. The film creates an immersive atmosphere where viewers are invited to reflect on the current state of commodification of human experience and data politics in an increasingly data-driven world.