The Context
⭕ This is the design I created for The Red Team Analysis Society article [🇫🇷 🇬🇧] titled:
“How to use AI for Weak Signals – Trump, the International Revolutionary?”
Whether you love it or hate it, President Donald Trump leaves no one indifferent. Since his election in November 2024 his declarations have been shocking and shaking the world, forcing the whole world to rethink policies and geopolitics around an entire new paradigm.
These decisions and declarations, what they imply for the future and how they might develop are called « Weak Signals ». This concept is an important part of the processes of strategic foresight and early warning. It is at the heart of the activity known as scanning or « Horizon Scanning ».
As the rise of President Trump is concomitant with the rise of the AI, The Red Team Analysis Society has decided to submit certain weak signals pertaining to Donald Trump’s decisions to three of the most important AIs of the moment :
- ChatGPT
- DeepSeek
- Grok
The Test was resting onto four themes consecutives of the declarations of President Trump :
- His views onto Canada
- His views onto Greenland
- His views onto Panama
- His declarations about Gaza
The essence of the Test itself was to input these weak signals into each of the three aforementioned AIs and have their results analyzed, interpreted and corrected by the geopolitics experts of The Red Team Analysis Society : how effective was the AI analysis? What is correct? What is missing? Find out the answer in their article here: How to use AI for Weak Signals – Trump, the International Revolutionary?
The Design
Trump and the AI : the Revolutionaries
I immediately took into account the “Revolutionary” aspect of Donald Trump by making him wear the beret of “Che Guevara”. Since his personality is so provocative at so many levels towards so many factions, I have opted to make it provocative as well: Right-wing partisans might be indignant that I associate a Republican President -perceived as a hero- with a strong communist symbol representing a traditional opponent throughout History.
And Left-wing partisans might be indignant that I associate a Cuban historical figure -perceived as well as a hero- with everything Communism is opposed to.
Therefore, and paradoxically, if this picture is shocking everyone from Left to Right, it would mean I have made my job well. Not out of masochism, but by using a visual oxymoron which would provoke a strong reaction and, therefore, a strong debate, if not a strong reflection. Which is exactly what Donald Trump is about.
And which is also exactly what the AI is about.
Since the AI is triggering so many opinions, arguments and counter-arguments; no one can deny, as well, that AI is changing radically the world and civilization that we used to know until today.
Therefore, I draw a parallel between the radical change induced by this technology and the radical change induced by the victory of Donald Trump : both are Revolutions. And Revolutions -whether they are technological or political- are never smooth transitions and are destined to turn everything we are used to upside down. They revoke what we were holding sacred and traditional thus far.
Revolution has many definitions: the first one is an abrupt change of a political regime by force. The second is the orbital movement a celestial body accomplishes around a central point, ending an old cycle and starting a new one.
And these two definitions apply to both Donald Trump and the AI technology.
The Colors and the Mugshots
Since his second election, Donald Trump emphasized a very strong graphic communication, serving his storytelling, which embodies the concept of : “I resist against a system that wants to destroy me.”
His official President’s portrait has been purposefully reproducing the facial expression he displayed on the photograph shot by the Police during his arrest on August 24, 2023. This Donald Trump’s “mugshot” has been used astutely to become a “meme”, a graphic embodiment of a “resistance” of his partisans against a system presented as corrupt.
Therefore, I used this official -very provocative- portrait in the same narrative context: three mugshots which would have many meanings, depending on how you view Trump and his policies or actions
Is it a series of Police photo shots -almost a “Wanted” poster from the Old West- meaning many people would put a bounty on him and have his head?
Are there more like a series of ID photographs you would get from a Photo Booth to get a passport? An US passport if you are an immigrant? A Canadian or Danish passport if you want to invite yourself in these countries for diplomatic reasons? A passport for the Future?
Are they an allusion to the efficiency of the mastery of his image and how they would embody his atypical personality to become a true Story Character, a symbol or even an idol? Pictures that everyone would print as a poster to make a point, a political statement or even a prayer? An holy pictural trinity which would save the Land where in God we Trust?
Hereby, since Donald Trump means to become the United States’ Icon. I have associated its graphic display with another American Icon: Marylin Monroe.
And, especially, her representation, immortalized through the famous series of serigraphies by Andy Warhol, master of Pop Art. Especially the “Shot Marylin Series” quadriptych.
For, it happens that the official colors of both OpenAI/ChatGPT and DeepSeek are Pale Green and Pale Blue respectively; these colors being very close to the ones used by Warhol on the “Shot Series” on the top right and bottom right cases.
I therefore decided to use the same colors on Donald Trump’s background on the same locations. Also, I used a filter on his face to match the “serigraphy” effect made by Warhol on Marylin Monroe’s serigraphies.
Since the colors of Grok are Black and White, I have decided to keep the left top portrait’s background white; though, I have sampled the exact same Orange from the Warhol’s “Shot Series” from the lower left case to complete my own “Donald Trump Shot Series” on the same lower left case. This making it consistent with the concept of “Mugshots” that I have developed earlier on. I would even say that “Donald Trump Mugshot Series “ would be a more appropriate name…
Now, knowing that this very Marylin Monroe quadriptych version has been actually shot with a revolver by Dorothy Podber inside Warhol’s factory, it gives another layer of meaning about using this very version of Warhol’s Marylin.
Especially since Donald Trump has been shot two times himself.
The Typographic AI, AI, AI…
As a subtle allusion, I have also added a typographic acronym reading “AI…” on the fourth case of the quadriptych. As much as to equilibrate the composition as to guide the viewer to understand that Trump and the AI technology are linked at more than one level: a first level concerning his relation with Elon Musk, creator of Grok; and on a second level to emphasize the substance of the topic of the article illustrated: the analysis of Trump’s major policies by three AIs.
The three dots after the acronym symbolize the three AIs used during The Red Team Analysis Society’s test; but it also gives a feeling of suspense : what the AIs have to say about Trump? What they will announce? What they will reveal?
Conversely, the opponents of Trump could read this acronym as an onomatopoeia: “AÏE…” or “OUCH…”. Like “Ouch, he is back… (and he is not happy)” or “Ouch, the AI is here… what will happen to our World?”.
So, in the end, why is this typography so subtle? It is not only because of its meaning, but also because of its nature : the Typeface I used is called Digi Grotesk and is actually the very first Typeface created by a computer in 1968 by Rudolf Hell…his name being certainly a coincidence.
By designing this Typeface by digital means, Rudolf Hell started a new era in computer creation, a revolution in the typographic world…
…as the rise of the AI is equally a new era in computer creation. A revolution in everyone’s world.
Summary of the Topic
🔻 Detailed protocol of the experiment: selecting the question, selecting the signals and selecting the Ais
🔻 First onlook of the raw answers of the AIs, detailed with Chat’s excerpts and prompts
🔻 Analysis of their responses: when the AIs are right, when they are wrong and what needs to be elaborated
🔻 Completing the input by infusing the human expertise and refining both the stakes and the themes which need to be perfected
🔻 Synthesis and Conclusion about the experiment
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Check the latest comments!
Thank you very much for your comment coming from an IT expert, Nouha!
Very interesting article and excellent choice for th Sphinx!!
Splendid as always! And also this showcase the very broad scope of your design skills!
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