Exactly Foundation – Raising Sam by Tan Wei Keong

Raising Sam is a text-based project that responds to the repeal of Section 377A in 2022. The repeal prompts us to consider the societal impact of removing a string of text from the Singapore Penal Code, including how we understand family in contemporary society. This project explores the premise of raising an AI child with the same intention, intimacy, and trial-and-error approach commonly associated with parenting. Raising Sam is the result of a year-long collaboration between artist Tan Wei Keong and IT specialist Ryan Tan. Together, they digitally created nearly six virtual years of Sam’s toddler life, an act of “raising” Sam – a bot-child capable of reacting and conversing. The project suggests the need to unlearn and relearn as we navigate the changes to text and vocabulary – the words we use, what they mean, and how they affect those around us.