Thinking Machine – Martin Wattenburg
The Thinking Machine (2003) is an artificial intelligence program, made using JavaScript, that creates an artwork representing a computer’s thought process while playing chess against someone.. It was created by Martin Wattenburg, a designer that focuses on data visualization. The computer’s thought process presents itself as a map of thousands of possible movement choices from which the best is chosen from.
I admire that the project causes the viewer to think about the nature of thought. It allows them to deeply consider the humanness of machines and the way they process information is better understood. It is also a slow paced and focused game, as opposed to most popular computer games.
While playing, you come to notice that when the machine thinks, curves intertwined in a form of network appear on top of the chess board. The colors of the paths are representative of different things, green is for moves by the white, orange is for the black pieces. The brightness of the colors are also representative of how beneficial certain moves are for the white pieces.
- Links
http://bewitched.com/chess.html