shirley s. leung

Google For Life | 2019

In a world of rising cost and unaffordable living, how much of your data are you willing to give up in exchange for ‘free’ living?

The year is 2035. Social security is running out and the cost of living is rising. Affordable living facilities are becoming a thing of the past as the rise of automation and income inequality permeates the market creating a new need for a social safety net. 

A new market emerged. Back in 2019, as part of a successful pilot project by Sidewalk Lab Toronto, a new digital city was developed by the waterfront of this newly gentrified Canadian city. This smart city was equipped with technology that makes life more convenient for its residents as well as providing a way to digitally supervise its citizens. Realizing that there is a lot of money to be gained by the monetization of this digitally available data, Google soon expanded their efforts into multiple cities across America focusing on the retirement population with a new pilot project entitled, Google For Life. 

Google For Life is a speculative realities art project by Shirley Leung and June Lee.