Interactive installation inspired by the film "BIG" featured in "Automation Bias" at FutureJuice

Melbourne-based Australian art and technology studio ENESS has unveiled its latest interactive installation, "HP*ATM – Human Psyche AI Teller Machine." The work is presented as part of "Automation Bias," a group exhibition at FutureJuice during Illuminate Adelaide 2026, where it will remain on view through August 30, 2026.

Inspired by the 1988 film "BIG," the installation references the film's premise of a machine making the impossible possible. According to ENESS Founder and Artist Nimrod Weis, the artwork reinterprets this idea as a metaphor for intelligent machines granting humans greater capabilities, represented in this work through psychological insight.

AI Generates a Psychological Reading Through Multiple Inputs

As visitors approach the installation, they are first invited to either accept or decline participation. Upon consent, the system analyzes psychological cues from the participant's face, performs a palm reading, and evaluates a sequence of button selections. Based on these multiple inputs, HP*ATM generates a psychological reading presented in the form of a lyrical horoscope. Declining participation is also incorporated into the experience. According to ENESS, the decision itself is treated as an indicator of character traits, while the installation playfully encourages hesitant visitors to engage through game-like interactions.

Combining AI-Generated Design with Obsolete Technologies

The installation's soft inflatable body was created from an AI-generated design based on previous ENESS artworks and a detailed prompt. The studio then refined the final form by hand, adding a number of artistic details, including a miniature noren, the traditional Japanese fabric curtain displayed at the entrance of restaurants and shops to indicate they are open. The work is built around a vintage ATM, while an old-fashioned telephone forms part of the interactive sequence. According to ENESS, these elements reference the inevitable obsolescence of technology while also reflecting the human tendency to become fascinated by contemporary technologies without anticipating that they too will eventually become outdated.

Reflecting on AI and Psychological Insight

Weis describes HP*ATM as a work that uses playful interaction to critique the use of AI for gaining psychological insight into its users. He also notes that while AI systems and automated products such as Alexa and Siri are given human-like identities, this familiarity should not obscure the issues of misuse, exploitation, and surveillance made possible through extensive data collection. The artist further identifies the possibility of AI predicting human behavior more accurately than humans themselves as another concern explored through the installation.

About ENESS

Founded in 1997, ENESS is a Melbourne-based Australian art and technology studio. The multidisciplinary team creates interactive artworks that combine sculpture, textiles, design, furniture, software development, music, and storytelling. Led by Founder and Artist Nimrod Weis, ENESS explores the intersection of the virtual and physical worlds through temporary and permanent public artworks. The studio has presented projects internationally in urban spaces, cultural precincts, galleries, and museums, creating experiences that engage audiences of all ages and backgrounds.