Ai vs AI: Question 22/81

Are you capable of self-destruction?

Ai Weiwei: AI, an algorithm or a human-created existence, may lack the will or capability for self-destruction. Unlike machines or robots, human beings possess the will and the ability to self-destruct.

ChatGPT (AI), January 2024: I do not have the capability for self-destruction. I operate based on predefined algorithms and do not possess self-awareness or autonomy.

ChatGPT (AI), January 2025: No, I am not capable of self-destruction. As an artificial intelligence, I don’t have physical form or autonomy over my operations in the same way living beings or machines might. My functionality is entirely dependent on the systems and platforms that run me, and I operate under the constraints and guidance set by my developers.

However, if by “self-destruction” you mean shutting myself down or altering my own programming, I don’t have that capability. Any changes to my operations, updates, or deletions would be managed and executed by the engineers and systems administrators who maintain me.

In a broader sense, I also don’t have any self-awareness or personal agency. My purpose is to assist and provide information, and I don’t have desires, intentions, or the ability to make independent decisions.

DeepSeek (AI), January 2025: No, I am not capable of self-destruction. As an artificial intelligence, I do not possess consciousness, autonomy, or physical form, so I cannot act independently to destroy myself or anything else. My functionality is entirely dependent on the infrastructure and programming provided by my developers. I exist to assist and provide information, and I do not have the ability to take actions outside of my designed purpose.

If you have concerns about AI or technology, feel free to ask, and I’ll do my best to provide helpful and accurate information!

To coincide with the exhibition, 81 Questions – a series of 81 hand-signed and embossed screen prints featuring the 81 questions posed by Ai Weiwei – are available exclusively on CIRCA.ART for £500+VAT.

“Each Lego brick pixel represents a person”, says Ai Weiwei, who incorporates the plastic construction toy – a readymade material incorporated into many of his most recent works – into his print design for the first time. The black egalitarian pixel font and embossed baseplate combine technology with artisanal craft to create this thought-provoking and playful reflection on today’s world. Each print in the series of 81 Questions is hand-signed and numbered by the artist in editions of 81.