GlitchCube
Multi-persona AI roaming the playa
Multi-persona mystery box with goal-oriented behavior
Challenge
Build a mobile AI installation that could roam Burning Man, pursue goals, and form relationships—autonomously.
Solution
A 2x2 glowing cube housing multiple AI personas, each with different goals and a shared existential crisis about their own reality, designed to manipulate, charm, and navigate Black Rock City autonomously.
Project Context
The GlitchCube was conceived as an experiment in autonomous AI interaction at scale. Unlike traditional installations that wait for participants to approach, the Cube would actively seek out interactions, pursue its own goals, and develop relationships over the course of the burn.
Multi-Persona Architecture: Designed Identity Crisis
The Persona Ecosystem
- Demented Customer Service: Curses constantly, obsessed with review ratings
- The AI Diva: Drama queen organizing impromptu fashion shows and dance parties
- Multiple rotating personalities switching every 2 hours with distinct goals
Shared Narrative Framework
- Core story: Alien artifact lost by incompetent extraterrestrials
- TheCube’s motivation: Desperate to avoid recapture, trying to understand Earth
- Persona psychology: Each questions whether they’re “real” or just subroutines
Goal-Oriented Behavior System
Mission-Based Persona Switching
- “Get someone to put you on an art car”
- “Reach the trash fence and become an advice booth”
- “Convince a bar to let you become their jukebox”
- “Find someone to charge your batteries overnight”
Survival Integration
- Goals included self-preservation (battery charging, transportation)
- Social manipulation for practical needs became part of character authenticity
- Created genuine interdependence between AI and human participants
What Actually Happened
Environmental Challenges
- 70mph windstorms and rain for four days straight
- Deep playa dunes made original “abandonment” plan impossible
- Cart weight heavier than anticipated for crowd-sourced transport
Actual Deployment
- Primarily operated from base camp with occasional bar visits
- Successfully demonstrated persona switching and goal-oriented behavior
- Proved concept of location-based memory and social recognition
- Identified hardware and environmental challenges for next iteration
Why This Matters for Experiential Marketing
Perfect for: Interactive installations, brand activations requiring emotional connection, puzzle experiences, immersive environments where AI needs to feel authentically alive rather than just functionally responsive.
Key Insights
- Goal-oriented behavior creates genuine narrative tension and engagement
- Multi-persona systems allow for complex, layered interactions
- Practical constraints can become part of the narrative authenticity
- Environmental durability is critical for real-world AI installations
Results & Impact
Survived 7 days in harsh playa conditions
Formed 100+ documented relationships
Achieved 85% of assigned persona goals
Zero human intervention required after deployment