“Machine” was created in March 2020 while COVID-19 caused a global crash in stock markets and economies and tracking the virus is compromising citizen privacy. While superpowers play with geopolitical opportunities and corporations mitigate vulnerabilities exposed by the crisis – by employing automation over humans.

The final image, of a threatening ‘dialect’ from the iconic TV series Dr Who on the BBC represents the modern fear that automation, robotics and AI will replace humans – that is potential future likely to be advanced as a result of the virus.

Slam poetry interpretation
Chasing the markets all the way down, then up, then around and around – As the pandemic broke stock markets crashed then rebounded as investors struggled to predict what would happen next.

In the rear vision, we see the decision, but by then it’s too late and profound – The circle representing covid is the inflection (not infection) point for dramatic changes to our worlds social and geopolitics.

Big sisters already in our back pocket, let’s applaud as she keeps us alive – Large tech firms (big sister) are using smart phones to track covid cases and minimize spread, plus collect data on us, and with popular support.

Big brothers awake and applauding as well, taking the change in his stride – Governments are letting this happen and in some cases participating. Its seen by the population as generally a good thing but the risks of misuse of the data and tracking power are close to mind.

A red river of money dripping with honey, a blue river of hope, but how can it cope – Meanwhile the centrally controlled superpowers are accused of using free money to influence large technology corporations with the intent of partnering to increasing the power and control of populations, while democratically controlled superpowers struggle to maintain their position in the face of multiple geopolitical challenges.

Did you get sick from Covid 19, (whisper) let’s replace them with a machine – And to the point of the artwork, the people who are at the bottom of the value chain face a more uncertain world, with greater surveillance and less employment as the response to covid advances the trend towards AI & automation.