Her work with machine learning can be separated in two categories: real and speculative. I will be discussing the two ‘real’ AI works Ultrachunk (2018) and ‘Anthology or Early Music, Vol. 1 (2020).
Ultrachunk is a live vocal performance featuring the neural network GRANMA developed by Memo Akten. The neural network has been trained throughout a year on improvisation videos of the artist. The performance starts with a ‘summoning’ done with the audience: a series of breathing and vocal exercises, ending with a drone. The pitch of the drone is then used as a seed for Walshe to start her performance. She calls this AI version of herself clunky and describes it as having ‘two sets of teeth’.
‘So much of what’s going on with machine learning is replicating problems. Structural problems that already exist. […] There’s loads of biases baked into so many of these systems.’
A Late Anthology of Early Music Vol. 1