Conceptual artist Jennifer Rubell has launched a new AI-powered mobile app called Attune Official, currently featured in her exhibition at Meredith Rosen Gallery in New York. The app analyzes text messages to identify communication patterns—such as "flashing," "momifying," or "toe dipping"—and offers rephrased suggestions in the user's own voice, aiming to improve clarity and confidence in texting. The exhibition includes beach balls, a painting with a QR code for a free trial, and a young man on his phone serving as a "readymade portrait of our time."
The project matters because it blurs the line between conceptual art and a mass-market consumer product, challenging the typical role of AI by prioritizing honest feedback over user engagement. Rubell positions Attune as a tool for anyone who finds texting consequential, particularly those who experience anxiety around digital communication. By offering a monthly subscription at $12.99, she extends her artistic practice into everyday life, suggesting that art can provide practical tools for self-understanding and interpersonal connection.