Agentic Horror: a Haunted House of Machines

Columbia DSL, in collaboration with Study Hall, invites you to an evening exploring agentic horror - where systems begin to act and respond in ominous ways. The session opens with a short talk tracing how horror has evolved alongside technology, from machines that mirror us to systems that behave like living organisms to networks that blur individual and collective control. As these systems grow more autonomous, authorship slips, intent becomes unclear, and the boundary between user and system begins to erode.

We’ll examine the discomfort of being reflected by something nonhuman, the unease of systems that adapt in real time, and the instability of identity shaped by unseen processes. The evening culminates in a live prototype: an agentic horror experience using spatial audio and exploration. As you move through the environment, the system listens and shifts, constructing a responsive experience that is never quite the same twice. Part talk and part experiment, this meetup continues the Lab’s focus on prototyping as a way of thinking - asking not just what we build with machines, but what it feels like when systems begin to develop their own logic.

About STUDY HALL
STUDY HALL is a creative building series in Manhattan where all disciplines vibe and play together. At STUDY HALL, everyone's an expert at something, and no technical experience is required. Presented in partnership with the city's frontier voices (Plastic Labs, AI Residency, Zo Computer), and hosted by Charlie Freiberg and Zak Hap.