Better Images of Responsible AI
The current dominant imagery of AI reinforces dangerous misconceptions, and at best limits the public understanding of the current use and workings of AI systems, their potential and implications.
AI4Media teams up with Better Images of AI / We and AI and AIxDESIGN to create & curate a season of artist commissions & community open call to re-imagine a better visual language for AI.
The main aim is to create a sets of imagery that avoid perpetuating unhelpful myths about artificial intelligence by inviting artists from different backgrounds to develop better images while tackling the questions like: Is the image representing a particular part of the technology or is it trying to tell a wider story? Does it help people understand the technology and is it an accurate representation?
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 951911.
[TIME]
Aug 2023 - Dec 2023
[PARTNERS]
[FUNDING]
ANNE FEHRES & LUKE CONROY
artist duo specializing in multidisciplinary visual art projectsWhat advice would you give to others in the project?
"Our advice to others wanting to create ‘Better Images of AI’ is to find your own personal connection or area of interest within this complex field of research. It’s such a huge and constantly evolving area, that it can be very overwhelming to try and capture this in one visual idea. Instead, read and explore widely in the beginning and gradually find the specific area that captures your attention or relates to your lived experience with AI. For us, we focused in on the hidden labour or everyday experiences with AI. This made the topic of AI more relatable and situated it closely to our artistic practice which is focused on human lives and storytelling."
Humans Do The Heavy Data Lifting
Hidden Labour of Internet Browsing
Models Built From Fossils
Data is a Mirror of Us
CLAROTE
designer and illustratorWhat have been the biggest challenges in creating better images of AI?
"The complexity of the mesh of structures, actors and resources behind AI systems is such that it becomes extremely difficult to portray its impacts and intertwinings – likewise, focusing on separate aspects for visual representation is also extremely difficult. The decision to develop a to triptych was an effort to honour and portray the very complexity and entanglement of these issues, while showcase different lines of this messy, gooey mesh."
Power/Profit
User/Chimera
Labour/Resources
JAZMIN MORRIS
creative computing artist and educatorDid you draw inspiration from anywhere in particular?
"I have been working in this field for a while now so I have a huge network (pardon the pun) of inspiration in my head that is constantly whirring around, however, here is a selection of the artists and researchers that specifically inspired this project; Safiyah Noble, Lisa Nakamura, Culturally Situated Design Tools, Simon Wheatley, Jay Ann-Lopez (Black Girl Gamers), MoMo Pixel, A.M. Darke, Ari Melenciano, Symone, The Hair Salon: Black Hair as Architecture, University of Houston and Neurospeculative Afrofeminism (NSAF) by Hyphen Labs."
Braided Networks I
Braided Networks II
Braided Networks III
COMMUNITY GALLERY
AI4Media offered 3 micro-grants of €300 for images submitted to Better Images of AI Image Garden around the given topics. We invited all artists, imagemakers, researchers, and community members to submit sketches, renders, collages, or whatever visual representation their heart desires to Community Gallery. Favorites were selected by the team (Tania Duarte, Rasa Boyce, Ploi Flynn, Nadia Piet) based on aesthetic quality, requirements for the library, and community upvotes.
Error cannot Generate by Amritha Warrier
Playground 1 by Michiel van der Zanden
tIc-tAc-t0e by Amritha Warrier
USE THE IMAGES
These images were created through a series of artist commissions curated, managed & directed by AIxDESIGN and funded by AI4Media for the Better Images of AI open-source image library. They are now part of the open-source Better Images library which means they’re free for you to download and use!
Humans Do The Heavy Data Lifting by Anne Fehres and Luke Conroy
Power/Profit by Clarote
Braided Networks by Jazmin Morris
Labour/Resources by Clarote
Braided Networks by Jazmin Morris
Hidden Labour of Internet Browsing by Anne Fehres and Luke Conroy
Playground 1 by Michiel van der Zanden
Models Built From Fossils by Luke Conroy and Anne Fehres
Error cannot Generate by Amritha Warrier
Braided Networks by Jazmin Morris
User/Chimera by Clarote
tIc-tAc-t0e by Amritha Warrier
Humans Do The Heavy Data Lifting by Anne Fehres and Luke Conroy