Prototype Name: Dragon’s Delusion
Artist(s): Cheng Xu (she/her), Hanjun Dai (he/him), Kongkee (he/him), Lawman (he/him), Shawn Wang (he/him), Yixin Wang (she/her)
Year: 2023-2024 (ongoing)
Materials: Site specific installation, prototype
Dragon’s Delusion is an AI-powered storytelling tool designed to democratize storytelling and empower individuals to take control of their own narratives. By inviting users to share their stories and guiding them through a workshop process one question at a time, the platform aims to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities. The project’s mission is to make history-making accessible to all, giving everyone the opportunity to contribute to the collective memory of the future.
The tool leverages AI not as a creative leader but as an encouraging partner, helping users articulate the stories they already possess. By fostering a collaborative relationship between the storyteller and AI,
Dragon’s Delusion creates a space for reflection, storytelling, and history-writing.
The purpose of the project is to empower individuals to share their life experiences and histories, forming communities around storytelling and ensuring that stories often erased from mainstream narratives are heard and preserved.
Looking ahead,
Dragon’s Delusion envisions a future where history is shaped by the stories of all people, not just a privileged few. Through the use of AI, personal narratives will become part of a broader tapestry, supplementing traditional histories with fables and reflections generated by the collective. Even if Dragon’s Delusion fades from use, the stories it helped generate will live on, creating a rich and diverse historical record for future generations.
Explore the prototype
Cheng Xu is a curator and tool maker based in San Francisco. She builds artifacts and designs experiences to facilitate creative expression and critical introspection. Her curatorial work at the Asian Art Museum focuses on games and technologies as art mediums.
Cheng was an artist-in-residence on digital fabrication at Autodesk Pier 9 and on AI for creativity at Stochastic Lab. Her artwork has been exhibited internationally at SXSW, UX Week San Francisco, Disseny Hub Barcelona, IKEA Museum, and has been covered by media outlets including SFGate, BBC, and Core77. Her academic research has been presented at TEI, UIST, and CHI. Cheng received an MS in Human-Robot Interaction from Yale University, an MFA in Interactive Design from Carnegie Mellon University, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Tsinghua University.
