The AI Assistant Star

The costume for anyone who has spent the year talking to a chatbot: a big orange star cut from a cardboard box and worn on rope straps, an “Ask me anything” input box in one hand and a “Thinking...” bubble in the other. It works in a photo, in a doorway, and best of all when you stand very still and let people ask you things.

TIME

60 min

COST

about $10

SKILL

Some cutting

What you need

• One large flat cardboard box (the bigger the box, the bigger the star)
• Orange felt-tip pen or paint pen
• Scissors or a craft knife, and a pencil
• About 2 metres of rope or thick ribbon for the straps
• A hole punch, or a pencil to make two holes
• White card for the input box, brown card for the bubble, a black marker

How to make it

1. 1

   Draw a star-burst on the cardboard: a small circle in the middle with eight or twelve fat spokes of slightly different lengths, so it looks drawn, not stamped. Aim for about 70 cm across.

2. 2

   Cut it out. Cutting the outline slowly with a craft knife gives cleaner edges than scissors, but scissors are fine. Leave the cut edges rough: the ridges show the cardboard and look good.

3. 3

   Colour it in solidly with orange felt-tip, going one way and then crossing back so the pen strokes show. It will look a little uneven, which is the charm.

4. 4

   Make two holes near the top of the star, a hand width apart. Thread the rope through, knot each end behind, and size it so the star hangs at chest height.

5. 5

   Cut a rectangle of white card for the input box. Draw a rounded rectangle on it in black marker and write “Ask me anything” inside in neat hand lettering.

6. 6

   Cut a speech-bubble shape from brown card, outline it in marker, and write “Thinking...” in it. Hold the box in one hand and the bubble in the other.

Make it better

• Wear plain black underneath so the orange is the only colour in the room.
• Do not answer questions straight away. Look at the bubble, then at them.
• Tape a lollipop stick to the back of the bubble and the box so you can hold them without cramping.

Questions

Unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Anthropic. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic. This is a homemade parody costume.