Environmental Listening Layer
Detects pressure changes, echo patterns and partial speech sounds in the room. The installation processes signals in real time and does not store the audio stream.
Liability
An embodied voice system in which delay, bias and responsibility remain audible within the mechanics of automated speech.
Interface context
Speech as a Governed System
Liability operates in public settings where ambient noise, response time and participant behaviour alter each exchange. Prompt, pause and reply remain perceptible, exposing conversation as an organised technical process with uneven authority.
The recorded trial documents listening, interpretation, routing and emission as separate operations. The interface records the permissions governing when a synthetic voice listens and speaks.
Operational and curatorial framework
The Politics of Delay
Listening, interpretation, response and pause produce a rhythm in which hesitation remains audible. Computation enters the room as a public action. Its timing remains open to interpretation alongside the words it emits.
The structure adapts to local acoustics and social conditions. A compact, inspectable technical footprint supports temporary installation while leaving variation, maintenance and control available for critical reading.
Unprompted Speech Trigger
Uses detected presence to determine when speech begins. The system omits commands and activation phrases, shifting initiation away from the visitor.
Irregular Response Engine
Constructs irregular responses. Repetition, delay and non-linear phrasing make recurring language patterns audible within the exchange.
Spatial Audio Emission
Projects sound into the room without addressing one designated listener. Position and local acoustics condition the reception of the voice.
Session Boundary
The published page exposes no live microphone path. Any future live session requires explicit activation, a server-side credential broker and a documented retention policy.
Offline Field Stack
Portable, energy-efficient components can operate without an internet connection across temporary urban, rural and transitional installations.
Technical
Technical Specs and Operational Notes
Full technical documentation for Liability is available in the public docs hub.