Wesley Goatley

Wesley Goatley is an Acting Programme Director of Interaction Design and Visual Communication at the London College of Communication (LCC), part of University of the Arts London. With a doctorate in Creative and Critical Practice from the University of Sussex, he is a critical artist and researcher whose work examines Artificial Intelligence technologies and their relations to society, geopolitics, and the climate crisis.

Goatley's research interests focus on critical data aesthetics, the sociopolitical implications of AI, and speculative futures. His work investigates how art practice can intervene and explore AI technologies, emphasizing their ecological impact and the myths they represent. He creates installations, performances, and films that expose the hidden mechanisms of AI listening, smart devices, and surveillance technologies, often using deconstructed synthetic voices to highlight their non-human nature.

His artistic outputs form a cohesive body of work that critically examines the relationship between humans and AI. Through soundtracked speculative fiction, interactive installations, and performance art, Goatley explores alternative futures where AI is banned, forgotten, phased-out, or surpassed. His works consistently address themes of climate crisis, e-waste, surveillance, and the geopolitical forces behind seemingly friendly consumer technologies.

• EMARE/EMAP residency prize with Impakt Festival (2017)

Goatley has presented his work internationally at venues including Eyebeam in New York, Berghain in Berlin, The Nam June Paik Art Center in Seoul, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. His installations have been commissioned by organizations including Tactical Tech Berlin, Science Gallery London, and the Bridging Responsible AI Divides (BRAID) Programme. He has also consulted for organizations such as BBC R&D and the University of the Creative Arts, London.

Goatley maintains an active presence in the critical AI community, having given talks at international events such as Milan Design Week, Global Art Forum Singapore, CTM Festival Berlin, and the European Data Forum in Eindhoven. His work bridges artistic practice with critical theory, creating tangible experiences that make abstract technological systems visible and critique-able.