Using IBM Watson and Cambridge Apply Magic Sauce, your social media personality is analysed and quantified. The algorithm generates a psychological profile that describes your personality, behaviors, and predilections.

Upon entering a dark, intimate room, the spectator is left alone with a glowing tablet, prompting to log in. Once they have connected, a mirror which at first glance appears to be part of the room’s interior, lights up and greets the spectator by their name. The following experience takes the form of a personalised audiovisual storytelling, to illustrate just how your activities online contribute to the way in which machines see you.

Based on a textual analysis of your social media posts, Cached reveals your character traits, interests and consumer preferences. At the end of the experience, all personal data is erased, and the visitor receives a unique printed receipt containing a summary of the analysis. It is the only record of their data, which can be shared, kept secret, or destroyed at their convenience.

Psychographic algorithms often resemble a hybrid of digital psychologists and fortune-tellers. The interpretation of this sort might not be as accurate as direct data on clicks, GPS points or biometrics. Nevertheless, the very idea that we are perceived as social beings rather than quantitative datasets raises the data privacy discourse to a new level.

“You appreciate art and seek out creative experiences”. “You think it is wrong to take advantage of others to get ahead.” “You are content with your level of accomplishment and do not feel the need to set ambitious goals”. "You are the content".

We are looking to further explore this framework and harness it to engage more deeply with the functions, purposes and deployments of sophisticated algorithms.

The project is a result of a collaborative effort by the Cached Collective. The collective first met during a summer residency in the South of France, the Hive. Each of us brings a distinct expertise to our collaborations that we leverage to create unique, multidisciplinary experiences. This broad base of specialities—from engineering to fashion design, from poetry to programming—allows us to approach our topics with a unique eye.

Because of the impenetrable way that modern technology functions, Cached Collective seeks to design experiences that can be easily understood by a wide audience. You can find more information by visiting cached.id.

Cached Collective: Jon Flint, Felipe de Souza, Ryan Dzelzkalns, Clément Bouttier, Joana Mateus, Aline Martinez. With the help of Walid van Boetzelaer, Tim Maughan, Laurence Mence, Jake Charles Rees.