Why it mattters
The current stock images are outdated and misleading, shaping unrealistic narratives. Search for images of ‘artificial intelligence’ and you'll find photos of shiny humanoid robots, glowing blue brains, or the Terminator.
These images are used in news stories, blog posts, opinion articles, lectures and press releases – all the place we turn to learn about AI and machine learning.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?
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How we did it
Led by the project team at AIxDESIGN, we designed an approach that would meet the following project objectives: publish 10 new images to Better Images of AI library; and test how Better Images of AI might employ a participatory approach to its image commissions.
We surveyed AI4Media consortium to better understand the images they needed but didn’t have.
We discussed the survey results and grouped them into the following three (3) high-level image briefs that articulated the themes the project partners wanted to see in the final images.
Launched a 4-week Open Call to recruit image-makers both within and outside of the Better Images of AI and AIxDESIGN networks.
Co-wrote final image brief with each artist. In their applications, each artist articulated the themes that most inspired them. From their submissions, we hosted a 90-minute brief-writing session to narrow the brief’s scope so each artist felt confident sketching initial concepts.
Read more about our approach
Image by Jazmin Morris / Jodi Harrison-Gaskin, Faith Aylward / Better Images of AI / Braided Networks 1 / CC-BY 4.0
Output
What we made
Commissioned Artwork
Anne Fehres & Luke Conroy
What 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."
Commissioned Artwork
Clarote
What 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."
Commissioned Artwork
Jazmin Morris
Did 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."
Community Gallery
AI4Media offered 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.
Congrats to Amritha Warrier and Michiel van der Zanden.
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(2019-25©)
