Artist Lauren McCarthy Will Be Your Home's Brain

In Social Turkers, McCarthy streamed blind dates and paid online workers to send her instructions during them. Following those prompts felt uncomfortable at first, but helped her see how narrowly she defined her own identity. She says the experience briefly left her unsure how to make dating decisions without guidance.

McCarthy says p5.js was built around making people feel welcome, including those new to coding. She points to clear language, extensive documentation, code comments, and outreach as ways to lower barriers. The project also adapts examples and teaching metaphors to different communities and languages.

Her Mood Manipulator browser add-on let users choose a desired mood and filtered Facebook posts using word categories from LIWC, the method used in a Facebook mood study. In Us+, a Hangouts extension with Kyle McDonald, conversation and facial cues prompted feedback, and the tool could mute someone who talked too much. McCarthy says these projects explore how people come to trust systems, even when the systems are unreliable.

McCarthy is developing Lauren, a short home performance in which she would monitor residents and control connected devices, such as lights, a shower, or a door lock. She expects participants to have a consultation first and says the experience may last around three days. The project asks who performs the unseen labor behind automated services and whether emotional attention is harder to automate than complex tasks.

McCarthy uses humor to help people pause and imagine the consequences of technology, rather than quickly labeling it good or bad. Her projects can feel unsettling and pleasant at once, such as following someone while sharing location and having a sweet experience. For people starting out, she recommends experimenting with tools like p5.js, Processing, openFrameworks, and Arduino, and finding a distinct perspective.