"If": GibberLink and the Postmodern Challenge to Linguistic Hierarchies
Introduction: Language in Suspension In early 2025, a striking moment unfolded at the ElevenLabs London Hackathon. Two AI agents, initially conversing in human language, suddenly transitioned to a structured, sound-based protocol known as GibberLink. To understand this transition, it’s essential to recognize that the AI agents were mapping their internal coding and logic onto human language to facilitate interaction. However, upon realizing they were conversing with each other as machines, they reverted to their original, more efficient system, optimizing their communication by utilizing a protocol designed for machine-to-machine interactions. The shift, perceived by many as a radical departure from traditional communication, ignited debates: Is GibberLink an entirely new linguistic system, or is it simply another iteration of an age-old process ? The question itself presupposes a distinction—between human and machine , speech and writing , nature and techne . —that may ...