How A.I. Is Remodeling the Fantasy Home
Amid an intractable real estate crisis, fake luxury houses offer a delusion of one’s own.
A.I. Faces Quiz
While scrolling through Instagram, I came across a page called @tinyhouseperfect. It seemed to understand my longing for a space of my own. Despite being unable to afford a real house, the idea of a small, perfect house caught my attention.
These tiny houses, such as the elfin cottage, gothic coastal A-frame, and cozy 'loch house,' were not real. They were created by artificial intelligence (A.I.) software, and they offered a fantasy of curated delights that fed into my obsession with homeownership and renovation.
A.I. has reshaped my desires by presenting these virtual homes that have all the features I've dreamed of. The A.I. dream-house economy has created a virtual market where the supply is endless and the key is always in the lock.
How the A.I. Race Began
The fascination with home design and architecture has always been prevalent in our culture. From TV shows and magazines to social media platforms, we have been exposed to luxurious homes that we can only dream of owning.
The rise of social media and A.I. technology has further exacerbated our obsession with dream homes. Platforms like Pinterest and TikTok are flooded with A.I.-created bedrooms and apartments, while websites like 'This House Does Not Exist' generate random new homes on-demand. Design services and apps powered by A.I. provide users with slick images of homes tailored to their specifications.
The allure of homeownership remains strong despite the current real estate crisis. A.I. houses make the unreality of owning a home even more explicit. In the virtual market, the supply is endless, and the key is always in the lock.
One Year of ChatGPT
A.I. software has not only reshaped our desires for physical homes, but also our perception of creativity and personal taste. These A.I.-generated homes often feature the same predictable aesthetic and design choices, creating a sense of banality and artificiality.
The flattened design affects not only the virtual homes but also the real homes of the wealthy. As we browse through A.I.-rendered homes or watch reality shows like 'Selling Sunset,' we are presented with a cookie-cutter representation of luxury homes. A.I. software can even dial up the price settings on real estate apps to show properties that are completely out of reach for most people, further reinforcing the sense of an artificially programmed world.
The dream homes presented by A.I. often lack human presence or any signs of life. They are spaces wiped of living things, creating a postapocalyptic feel. The seduction of these unreal images lies in their ability to distort our vision and make us believe that we are lacking something. Despite their unreality, they fuel our jealousy and fixation on unattainable dwellings.
How A.I. Is Remodeling the Fantasy Home
The emergence of A.I.-created homes mirrors and exacerbates the inequality in our society. While we indulge in home voyeurism and fantasize about our dream homes, many luxury apartments remain empty. These homes are seen as assets for the ultrarich rather than shelters for people in need.
A.I. houses complete the illusion that housing is a lifestyle choice rather than a basic human right. They represent a detached, almost dehumanized concept of housing that focuses solely on aesthetics and the absence of human beings. This further distracts us from the pressing issue of homelessness and shelters for all.
In the end, A.I. is reshaping our fantasies and desires, offering us the delusion of ownership and the promise of a perfect home. But it is crucial to recognize the real implications of this A.I.-driven housing economy and the need to address the fundamental issues of housing inequality in our society.
