"What I find really interesting is, when people go into this installation, it helps you put this moment in perspective. People feel like we're living in this technological presentism and crazy amount of change. So, the ability to step back and say, 'what have we learned over 500 years?' [matters]. For me, [the mural] was a transformative project, because what was very clear is that history is not just about technical innovation. It's about who has the power to set the rules that we will be living within."
"This is why agentic AI is so important right now, because it's a rapidly evolving field. The standards are not yet set, and it's going to be people here, in rooms [who decide the rules]."
Technological progress follows patterns established over centuries, from 15th-century gunpowder warfare to modern autonomous systems and artificial intelligence. The 'Calculating Empires' mural at Barcelona's Design Museum traces this evolution across 24 meters, connecting ancient calculators to contemporary data systems and deep fakes. Created by AI researcher Kate Crawford and visual artist Vladen Joler over four years, the installation emphasizes that technological change involves more than innovation—it fundamentally concerns who holds power to establish rules governing these systems. Understanding this historical context helps counter technological presentism and reveals how decisions made today about emerging technologies like agentic AI will shape future societies.
#technological-history #artificial-intelligence-governance #power-and-technology #agentic-ai #historical-perspective
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