My video explainer ‘How is your data collected in Melbourne’s Smart City’, covers exactly that. Melbourne is a Smart City, fitted out with devices connected to an Internet of Things, that connect the city together through Wi-Fi, constantly collecting data on anyone that passes through the CBD. This technology is only possible because of advancement in AI and ADM technology, specifically in their use with sensors and data collection. This application of AI/ADM is something that isn’t necessarily as tangible like algorithms and chatbots, but instead is present across every aspect of existence in our entire CBD. I took quite a lot of inspiration from the ADM+S Centre project ‘Automation and Public Space’ that aims to investigate “how automated decision-making systems impact public and shared space via sensors” (ADM+S Centre, 2024). The most successful part of my finished work would easily have to be the structure of the explainer itself. Refining the script was a long process, I had quite a lot of content to cut down on, but once I was left with what I needed I thought that the flow of the script complimented the amount of information I wanted to deliver. The most problematic aspect of the final video explainer however would have to be the interview. Initially the interview looked like it was all going to line up, I’d found a subject and got confirmation she was able to be a subject for my project almost a month before it was due. We’d scheduled the interview for a week out from our initial interaction, though when the day rolled around, she had to cancel due to a doctor’s appointment, after that I tried to reschedule but didn’t get a response. This close to the due date, the pressure of finding a subject was obviously quite immense and after getting a few kind noes from other people I’d flagged earlier in the search I sent an email to Ruth seeking help. What I ended up with was a renegotiated parameter that involved me interviewing someone about their thoughts on data collection in the CBD, I chose someone who I knew didn’t have any prior knowledge about the subject to get the most impartial response to my line of questioning. In the end I think this complemented my video very well. This is an area in active research that the public isn’t very conscious about, so having an impartial subject gave me a unique angle for the project. One of the most interesting answers I got was that didn’t end up in the final cut was about any worries about the application of AI and ADM in public spaces, the response I got from my subject was very interesting. The article states, “90% of Australians said they wanted to know when and where the technology was being used on them. They also wanted the opportunity to consent to its use” (Andrejevic, 2024), This response was identical to the one that I received without prior knowledge of this being written. If I were to keep working on this project, I’d love to examine some of the long-term effects that the Smart City is having on urban development in the CBD with specific projects that can be found on the City of Melbourne’s Smart City website. The projects that are underway I thought weren’t worth focusing on in detail due to their relative infancy and limited scope. If there were to be a major project that pops up in the next few years, that could serve as the focus for an entire video explainer itself. This studio more than any I’ve undertaken so far has given me the challenge of being as thorough with my independent research as I can. When searching for information for the project, the necessity of gathering data, reports and opinions from sources outside the ones provided by the course became very apparent. Research is something I’m not unfamiliar with, but this level of it, plus the added challenge of having such a large focus on interpreting data, something that I’ve seldom done before. As always seeing our projects come together for exhibition is always so gratifying, knowing that we as a collective have presented so many different interpretations of our thoughts on AI/ADM to be viewed and thought on by any visitors we receive. The ex-Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp, said in an interview, “Melbourne is a smart city and we want to work with the community to design, develop and test new ways to share data and knowledge for the benefit of all” (Petrass, 2022), I hope this same optimistic sentiment came across in my final project too. Smart Cities will be the future of urban life, as they are already starting to be, and having strong public awareness about their role and the way they function will be paramount to our urban landscape adapting for the digital age. 

 

Andrejevic, M. (2024). Australians like facial recognition for ID but don’t want it used for surveillance, new survey shows. The Conversation, accessed 18th October 2024, https://theconversation.com/australians-like-facial-recognition-for-id-but-dont-want-it-used-for-surveillance-new-survey-shows-235530.  

 

Petrass R (12 September 2022) ‘AI is watching you: How to ethically capture urban data for smart cities’, The Fifth Estate, accessed 18th October 2024, https://thefifthestate.com.au/jobs-and-biz-news/ai-is-watching-you-how-to-ethically-capture-urban-data-for-smart-cities/Links to an external site. 

 

admscentre.org.au. (2023). Automation and Public Space – ADM+S Centre, accessed 18th October 2024, https://www.admscentre.org.au/automation-and-public-space/.