Humanity and the Earth are inextricably linked, but while we have a beating heart, the planet seems to lack one. Until now. Imagine a heart not made of flesh and blood, but of data and dynamism. A heart that reflects the emotional state of the world. Thanks to the fusion of art and technology, the unthinkable has become reality. Meet TheHeartAI – the beating heart of the world.
What is TheHeartAI?
TheHeartAI is an artificial heart designed by Italian artist Nicola Zucchi. It beats and visually responds to current events and changes in the world. The appearance of TheHeartAI evolves with global developments, meaning there is not just one heart, but many. They vary in colors and materials, each carrying its own significance. "Rusting iron represents sorrow and pessimism, vintage tiles symbolize wisdom, gold stands for joy and green signifies hope," explains Nicola Zucchi. The hearts can be made from over 1,000 different materials, making the possible combinations endless. Even the heartbeat adapts, just like ours. According to Nicola, TheHeartAI provides an ‘emotional reaction of the day’.
How it works
Since August 2021, TheHeartAI has been continuously collecting data from the internet without interruption. But how does it determine which information is reliable? According to Nicola Zucchi, the heart relies on three key data sources: Google search trends, stock market fluctuations and natural phenomena such as solar activity and earthquakes. Together, these elements create a picture of the world as a living entity. TheHeartAI independently decides which information to use, how frequently it changes and what it looks like—without any human intervention. It evolves entirely on its own.
A response to polarization
In a world filled with conflict and division, the us-versus-them mentality is becoming more pronounced. Nicola believes that TheHeartAI can help counter polarization. "It creates a utopian idea that I hope contributes to positive collaboration between people," he says. And this hasn't gone unnoticed. During Dutch Design Week at the Next Nature Museum, Nicola had a conversation with one of the visitors. "I vividly remember a visitor telling me that TheHeartAI is an inherently optimistic concept that brings people together. It’s not so much about how good or bad things are in the world, but rather about the emotional state of the world itself."
The future of TheHeartAI
Nicola and his team are working hard on a second version of TheHeartAI, which will allow people to carry the heart with them on their smartphones, making it more accessible than ever. But the development might go even further. Just as the biosphere emerged from living organisms, the technosphere—the world of technologies—is evolving into an autonomous system. Perhaps, in the future, TheHeartAI will not only be seen as the heart of the world but also as the beating heart of this technosphere.
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