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This is art: Man rigs up Google Assistant to fire a gun
June 08, 2025
The age-old question of “What is art?” has boggled the minds of many people throughout the centuries. We find it easy to accept that something like the Mona Lisa is art, but difficult to understand howa porcelain toiletautographed by an artist and presented to a gallery could pass muster.
Most people would agree that art makes you think, and if that’s your definition then have I got an art piece for you: artistAlexander Rebenrecently released a video of his latest piece, which is him askingGoogle Assistantto fire a gun. Check it out below:
In the 30-second-long video, Reben says “OK Google, activate gun,” to hisGoogle Home. Rigged up right next to the Home is some sort of air pistol that then fires at an apple. The apple tumbles off its pedestal as we hear Google Assistant in the background say, “OK, turning on the gun.”
The whole thing is pretty unsettling.
Reben tellsEngadgetthat he used Google Assistant to perform the feat, but could have easily used anAmazon Echoor any other virtual assistant. He rigged the gun using spare parts laying around his studio, which included a laundromat change-dispensing solenoid, string, and a lamp control relay.
“Part of the message for me includes the unintended consequences of technology and the futility of considering every use case,” Reben said. He was quick to point out that his hacked-together piece could have triggered “a back massaging chair or an ice cream maker.” He just happened to pick a gun.
With the prevalence of AI in our world and things likeGoogle Duplexcausing some spine-chills with how eerie and creepy virtual assistants can be, Reben’s video surely makes a point: what if his video was a real gun and it was firing at a person? Clearly, Reben would be culpable for pulling the trigger by giving the command, but are there laws on the books ready to defend “death by virtual assistant?”
Google has already promised todevelop an ethical roadmapof sorts when it comes to the future of artificial intelligence and its applications. It is also currently under fire from the general public andits own employeesfor helping the government use AI to power military drones.
Reben is likely trying to say that we should be talking about the ethics of AI sooner rather than later.
NEXT:Artificial Intelligence vs Machine Learning: what’s the difference?
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