Look how cute Beezy is. With a smile like that, he could be this Christmas's must have kid's toy. But whatever you do, don't squeeze him!
That's because Beezy is an AI data centre. He looks all warm and cuddly, promising to bring us a technological revolution and yet-to-be-demonstrated super abundance, but when you squeeze him, he emits a painful ear-piercing wail.
AI data centres are among the most loathed developments in communities across the world right now. As well as their size, consumption of resources and heat generation, there's the issue that they tend to emit a noise that makes Extreme Noise Terror's seminal A Holocaust in Your Head sound like an album of bedtime lullabies.
Residents stuck with data centres near their homes complain of living in a nightmare, unable to sleep and with little prospect of being able to sell to move elsewhere. Beezy is one New York design agency's contribution to the debate, examining the emotional packaging of the tech.
Basura worked with the musician Big Data to create the handmade cuddly toy, whose "voice" was recorded outside an AI data centre in Virginia. The toy is part of a satirical campaign that invites people to 'Adopt a Data Center', reimagining the giant pieces of AI infrastructure as rescue animals seeking homes.
As part of the project, Basura founder Rajeev Basu interviewed people who live near data centres to learn about what they're suffering. He says he's not anti-AI but wanted to encourage debate about responsible use of the technology. The satirical approach is intended to highlight the absurdity of the data centre building drive when it has such a negative impact on communities.
Just 20 Bezzy toys were made as part of the release of Big Data's EP 4.0.
