Superhuman Edging

The art installation was set in a dark room. Patrons could freely walk around the exhibits, upon podiums - which were spotlit from above. The two podiums contained a six foot by six foot clear acrylic box. Inside of those boxes were human beings - one male, one female - devoid of clothing - straddling a white - medical looking - fake leather padded saddle. Their heads emerged from the top of the box, and their arms rested on arm rests to either side of them. In front of their faces, a screen - with constantly scrolling information - text, images.

Their skins were dotted with various contacts - a line of round self-adhesive contacts along their spines, especially around the back of the neck. They both wore headsets with sensors positioned around their skulls. They both had contacts attached to their torso, several around and on each nipple, and their public regions. The male was outfitted with a fabric holster into which his penis was placed, which served to hold several contacts in different places. The female had a transparent plastic plate with several contacts on it held against her vagina, held in place by elastic cords around her waits and each thigh. Although it wasn't clear from the outside, they appeared to both have something in their anuses too, as more wires emanated from there.

The hundreds of wires from all of these contacts were bundled together and went to an interface box. The interface box was connected to a computer, which sat at the edge of the podium. A screen showed a graph of hundreds of signals which varied over time. The humans both stayed quite still for much of the time, but sometimes flinched or twitched. When that happened, the graphs showed various spikes across the signals they were displaying. The largest graph on the display was labeled "AROUSAL LEVEL" - the line for this was mostly flat and at a level of 98%.

Integrated into the saddles, directly under their genitals, was a small funnel. The funnel was connected to a vacuum pump, which periodically activated to remove any buildup of liquid. The liquid was pumped into a clear, thin tank with measurement markings on it by the bottom of the box.

Patrons walked around these exhibits, observing their predicament. The humans did not acknowledge the patrons - partly as they couldn't see them in the dark room, but mainly because they were lost in their own world of frustration.

---

The artist's name was B-Twenty. They had changed their name in 1998 after an personal epiphany in which they decided that they aimed to transcend the human experience, and the best way to start that process was to give themselves a name that didn't fit into any normal society. They also publicly declared themselves as gender-neutral at this time - although they had always been this way - it felt like the right time to cement their new identity within the community. Over the years, they had loosened up on the name and were happy for their friends to call them just B.

B had recently become intrigued by the modern trends in computer driven software development - two aspects of it, in fact. One, being the intense desire to drive attention to the detriment of everything else. And the other being optimization of a businesses goals using AI. After talking to many academics and professionals in the field - and indeed becoming part of the industry - they had begun to understand that the danger of AI was not the apocalyptic "grey-goo" scenarios that fascinated science fiction - in which a maligned superhuman general intelligence destroys all matter in the universe to optimize some outcome - but rather the more imminent threat of much lesser intelligence enslaving the human race by exploiting their own desires.

That's how they came up with the Arousal Farm. In a parallel to the goal of many social networks or apps, the goal of the system was not to maximize attention, but to maximize sexual arousal. And like attention, sexual arousal is indeed a desirable thing - in balance to all other activities in a person's life. But if the goal is just to maximize a simple parameter - there is no balance between that and other parameters (like social interaction, companionship, new experiences) that a person needs in order to live a healthy or satisfying life.

B worked with a number of people to build this project. Several engineers - medical, electrical, and software. They had to consult various people on ethics. And not least, the models themselves who had volunteered to be the subjects.

The system was constructed in two parts: the human computer interface, the AI. The interface was two way - it was possible for the computer to sense various parts of the human's body, as well as stimulate them directly or indirectly. Some of the sensors needed to be labelled so that AI knew they had a strong correlation with the arousal of the human, but most parameters were unlabelled and it would need to determine the relationship between them on it's own.

The process or learning was fairly complex - just like the algorithms to maximize eyeball time on adverts. At first, it would try to build a model of the subject. It would watch the sensors when there were no stimuli - then systematically try different combinations of stimuli and measure the response and encode that into a neural network. It would then repeat this process several times, each time improving the predictive power of the model.

After creating a model of the human, it would generate a number of new algorithms which would be tested against the simulation. Each one would be scored by the overall level of arousal it achieved over a fixed period of time. The one which was the most effective would then be used as the basis of the next round, with a new set of algorithms each of which are a slightly modified version of the last. This was an implementation of a genetic algorithm.

However, the model of the human will not be perfect - and so this genetic algorithm will be optimizing the arousal of the model, not the actual subject. So every few hundred generations of algorithms, the best algorithm is tested on the real human. The results of this are used to further refine the model, which is then used to test the next generations of algorithm.

This process repeats over and over - but the computer is fast enough to be able to perform trials on the human subjects every minute. The monitor shows the progress of the genetic algorithm, and which algorithm is currently being trialed.

The approach to building this was challenging for B and their (open minded) engineering colleagues. Humans are notoriously difficult to predict, and especially in this regard as their responses to stimulus like this are non linear. One of the key things that the algorithm would need to learn to deal with is the orgasm. If it accidentally causes an orgasm - whilst the arousal level will spike briefly, it drops steeply afterwards - an undesirable outcome in optimizing the arousal levels over time. For this reason a manual orgasm detector was built, which would reduce the score of the algorithm by a significant amount of it occurs. But in the early generations, it will have never seen the human have an orgasm, so the model will not be able to predict it accurately. Only after having seen the orgasm occur, probably several times, will it be able to accurately simulate and predict when it will occur.

By the time this system was built, B's team was confident that it would perform mostly as intended - or if it did not, it would at least be interesting to see how it failed.

---

Tiffany had been a model in the art world for a few years now. At 22, she was both glad for the extra income and for being part of the art world she loved so much. In both ways, it allowed her to continue and further her studies into becoming an artist in her own right some day. She had always been confident in her own body, and didn't feel embarrassed by others seeing it without clothes. Her family were naturists and as a young girl had often gone to naturist resorts on holiday with her family - and that had given her both a respect for her own body and other peoples. She appreciated how different every person is, and judging someone for the shape or size of any part of their body didn't even enter her thought process - and the people around her during those breaks were no different. She also had no connection between nudity and sex. She imagined that many people had that link, and therefore associated their naked body with their sexual performance - which often induced anxiety. She felt lucky not to be burdened with this. That confidence made working as a model much easier to her than perhaps some of her peers, especially on jobs which required nudity.

But despite this confidence, the project she was thinking of working on still gave her some apprehension.

"So, you'd like me to be hooked up to some computer thing, and it's going to stimulate me? Can you tell me how it's going to do that?" she asked B during the briefing session.

"Unfortunately, no, not really. I can give you a list of all of the points at which it can apply stimulation, but not what it is going to do. That part of the goal, is to see how the computer responds to you," B explained.

"Okay. And, at any time, I can stop it?" she asked

"Yes, that's right. You won't be restrained in any way and there will be an emergency stop button within easy reach. I would prefer that you try to endure it the best you can, but I understand that it may become too much. If you press that button, the interface will be instantly disabled and any stimulation will be stopped, the lights will turn out, a curtain will come down and you will be able to leave the exhibit unseen." B had gone through this contingency plan many times with his ethics advisers.

"I see. I'm really interested in the idea of this project. I've spent way too many hours flicking through Insta-app without realizing what was happening behind the scenes - I think this could make a really big impact. I'll think about it, and let you know. Is that OK?"

"Of course. Take your time," said B, perfectly patiently.

---

Only a few hours later, Tiffany had decided to take part. She was genuinely interested in what was going to happen, and was a little thrilled to know how many people were going to see her being stimulated. She had worked on another project before in which she walked through a room of people nude whilst operating breast pumps on both of her breasts - the exhibit was about the identities of motherhood - during which she felt a zing of exhilaration every time she operated the pump - which although didn't express any milk, did give her a subtle stimulation which was quite arousing. But this was on a completely new level.

The next step was a fitting session. She attended B's workshop where she was asked to undress and sit on the saddle onto which she was going to be working. As she sat there, various engineers measured the dimensions of different parts of her body - trying not to touch her anywhere sensitive - and if they needed to, asking her permission first. After measuring, they test fitted several sensors in different locations - most just pads which attached to her skin with a light adhesive - others more specialized assemblies, which they had 3D printed, to make perfect contact with her nipples, labia, clitoris, an insert for her vaginal passage (this was the one which sensed arousal), and a two in one which contacted her anus and perineum.

As they fitted each connection, they tested the stimulation they provided individually. They turned up the intensity until Tiffany no longer felt comfortable and told them to stop - and this was the limit set that the computer was unable to go above. She found this process quite interesting, as some areas were obviously erogenous (her nipples and pubic region) but others which she hadn't expected were also quite intense - for example a very specific part of her spine. She wondered if the AI would pick up on that.

They adjusted the saddle to be perfectly shaped for her long term use. They even carried out an assessment on her posture and ensured that her circulation would not be badly effected by staying still for hours - it was the same kind of assessment that airline seats needed to be put through before being allowed to be used in passenger aircraft.

They also tested one of the other features of the rig - the ability for her to urinate without leaving the saddle. Using the funnel between her legs, she would be able to do this without needing to unhook every sensor from herself - she would just need to press a button, which would lower a curtain and temporarily disable the interface, allow her to relieve herself into the funnel - which drains it away to a nearby plumbed soil pipe - then press the button again to reactivate the lights, raise the curtain and continue the exhibition.

During the test, the whole team left the room to give her some privacy. She discovered that her seating position needed to be adjusted slightly to ensure the stream went straight into the funnel, which she recorded and explained to the team when they re-entered the room.

After all the adjustments were made, they were ready to go ahead with the full exhibition the following week. Tiffany went home, tired, but excited for the date to roll around.

---

Tiffany arrived and was immediately ushered into the temporary dressing room to prepare herself. There wasn't much to do, other than remove her clothes and apply a little makeup - just to prevent her face from looking too shiny in the bright lights. In her dressing gown she walked out into the exhibition room to her podium. The team quickly went to work as she mounted herself onto the saddle - every contact was attached with great precision and hooked up to the interface. The team then double checked every adjustable aspect for comfort. B came up to her as she was finally prepared

"I just want to thank you for being involved in this project. I realize it's going to be difficult, so thank you for letting us do this," said B.

Tiffany nodded, "I'm glad to be involved."

B bowed, and then walked over to the other model.

"Ma'am we need to do a quick self-test, which might tickle a bit - are you OK for us to go ahead?" said one of the engineers working on her podium.

She composed herself momentarily.

"OK, go ahead."

As the enter key was pressed, an odd wave of tingling started rolling over her body - starting at her lower back, working it's way up and over her shoulders, through her breasts and into her vulva and then her anus.

"Great, 100% pass. B, we are ready to go," said the engineer.

"Thank you, everyone. Lets start the programs. I'll see you on the other side," said B as they walked out to the door to the gallery front of house, as a crowd of people were milling anxious to come in.

The engineers each pressed the enter button once more, and then themselves left the room.

At first, seemingly nothing happened. She supposed that it was loading up, or something. Then, she started getting random sensations, a bit like being prodded in various places over her body. Most of the time it wasn't especially enjoyable - just like being poked in the stomach or the shoulder. Interestingly not all the sensations seemed to be coming exactly from where the contacts were attached - maybe it was a combination of different contacts firing at once? The random prodding continued for some time. People started to walk in - and she expected they were somewhat unimpressed by the fact she was just sitting there looking mildly uncomfortable.

The display read, "AROUSAL 0%".

After several minutes of systematic prodding, it eventually reached an erogenous zone. Her left nipple. It prodded it a few times, with different intensities and in different directions. Then it tried the right nipple and performed the same systematic check. Then it alternated between them - which was the most interesting thing it had done so far. Then, seemingly loosing interest it moved off to another less erogenous part of her body. Until eventually it came back to another - her vulva. It used the various contacts to stimulate it in different directions, with different patterns of stimulation. This was the most effective so far, and she could feel herself becoming aroused by this. It worked around further, and tried stimulating between her anus and her clitoris. This was especially interesting - she could feel a pleasant, light, tingle running through her whole pubic area. She let out a slight moan as it tested these combinations.

The prodding stopped. It had built it's first model. The screen in front of her informed her that it was now testing 10,000 rounds of algorithms against the model it had just created. A few moments later, it announced that the winning algorithm had achieved a simulated maximum arousal level of 44%, and that it was about to run.

As the run started, she started to feel a lot of random tingles around her body. They didn't make a lot of sense, but occasionally it felling into a pattern across her nipples, which it alternated between in random intervals back and forth - that felt quite nice - but it then returned to randomly pinging her body all over.

The algorithm stopped. In reality, the maximum arousal level only reached 32%. The model was adjusted, and another 10,000 rounds of algorithms were tested, before the winner was picked again - with a maximum arousal of 42%.

This one had maximized on the nipple stimulation - it was constantly alternating between the left and right and giving her different intensity levels. It has also stopped randomly fuzzing the rest of her body - and was instead starting to focus on a few key areas. One was a point on her upper back, and the other was just above her pubic mound. The trial revealed the algorithm achieved 38% arousal.

This process repeated many times - each time, the algorithm would have improved on a sensation it had before little by little, and introduced new quirks. After 5 iterations, it had almost perfected nipple stimulation - it had developed a way of spinning around them as if they were being sucked, and alternating the patterns so as to not be predictable - and she enjoyed that quite a lot. It reached a peak of 55% arousal.

A few more generations later and it had found her vagina. At first, it just teased her labia with gentle strokes - which did have the desired effect. At this point she was aroused enough for the funnel beneath her to start filling with her juices.

Suddenly, on generation 16, an algorithm had discovered something. It had figured out how to make long term plans - which meant that it started with a gentle stimulation, but over time increased the intensity, and started to move towards the more sensitive areas. It began spinning around her nipples, then added around her vulva, then started to go directly to her clitoris and anus. The combination of all three was quite intense - she reached peak arousal of 85%.

Then, the next generation performed almost the same routine - starting at the nipples, quickly moving to the labia, then rhythmically stimulating the clitoris. This seemed to last forever - and she quickly felt an orgasm building up inside her, which she then explosively let out as it took her over the edge. But the stimulation didn't stop - it just kept stimulating her. It was unpleasant and her genitals were ultra sensitive after the orgasm it just gave her. It was almost overwhelming - almost painful - she almost went for the emergency stop button. But then, the trial period mercifully ended. During this she had been whimpering slightly - she she allowed herself to look around her. Several people had been watching as she had an orgasm, and then subsequently teased post-orgasm. She was kind of turned on by that.