BotWatch

@bentossell Thank you for your question! On the surface, it may seem that BotWatch serves as a way to keep Assist up to date on latest in the development of bots, but the project is actually much more complex than that. As it evolves and continues to grow, the project will reveal some of its larger aims. Our primary goal is to enter “bots” into general discourse, and to reframe what a bot is. We want to open up the discussion of bots to a wide range of individuals, to collectively shape the future of bots. We are in constant dialogue with the bot community—folks who create and make bots for creative and noncommercial aims—and with scholars who have been studying bots for a long time. We’ll be featuring these perspectives more on BotWatch this year. We have also created experimental projects such as [AUTORESPONSE], where anyone can receive an artwork through the standard “out of office” message bot by different artists each week through a simple email to botwatch.projects@gmail.com. All these efforts are ways to creatively and thoughtfully highlight the ways in which bots exist in our everyday lives. BotWatch also signals the efforts on the part of @rstephens & @shanemac to engage with the culture & community at large, beyond the tech industry. As an artist myself, I find it an incredibly important gesture to take—to support the work of artists, writers, and makers alike in a meaningful and critical way! Tons of ideas and projects in store.. excited to share it with you all! :)

@marshallk Glad to hear you're enjoying the content. Working on getting there! :)