Can synthetic intelligence see individuals of colour? Senegalese artist Linda Dounia Rebeiz explores this thought-provoking query within the upcoming on-line exhibition she curated, IN/Seen, opening this Monday on Feral File.
It options 10 black artists, together with Dounia. The lineup showcases Jah., Serwah Attafuah, Adaeze Okaro, Minne Atairu, Linda Dounia, Zoe Osborne, Arclight, AFROSCOPE, Nygilia and Rayan Elnayal.
These artists share the widespread objective of shedding mild on the biases of AI with regards to representing individuals of colour. “The biases of AI, the biases of the web, and the biases inherent in Western artwork historical past compound to create an atmosphere the place individuals of colour, together with black individuals, really feel both absent or misrepresented by AI,” Dounia instructed Decrypt.
As a multidisciplinary artist, Dounia minted her first NFTs in 2021. Her work attracts inspiration from her private experiences as a girl rising up in Senegal, the place she witnessed vital transformations as a result of environmental change and globalization.
Introducing In/Seen, a gaggle present analyzing the biases in AI, curated by Linda Dounia Rebeiz
June 12, 2023
14:00 UTC pic.twitter.com/5sRsO1J6LR— Feral File (@FeralFile) Could 25, 2023
Dounia makes use of AI in her work, collaborating with Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and coaching them utilizing her personal collected knowledge from her atmosphere and creative apply.
“If you enter a search time period like ‘human’ into AI platforms like Dall-E or Midjourney, the outcomes are skewed,” she stated. “You usually tend to discover photographs of white males. Nevertheless, while you seek for ‘black particular person,’ the AI-generated outcomes are sometimes distorted, both within the facial options or physique proportions.”
Dounia defined that AI steadily depends on stereotypes in its representations. “It is obvious from these outputs that AI would not totally perceive black individuals, their origins, or their contexts,” she stated.
These points are highlighted by the artworks featured within the exhibition. Whereas Dounia blurs the complete face as a rejection of AI’s output, Arclight incorporates the distortions into their items, leading to hazy and ill-defined photographs.
Alternatively, artists like Minne Atairu and Serwah Attafuah create aesthetically pleasing works with well-defined faces and lighting, however upon nearer inspection, inconsistencies within the illustration of hair turn out to be obvious.
Zoe Osborne makes use of filters to blur out inconsistencies, giving her portraits a classic look that represents her perspective on AI’s constancy in illustration. Jah takes a distinct method by embracing AI’s imperfections and using them to create surreal characters impressed by African masks and historic Egyptian apparel.
“The Idunnos, #45” by Jah
This activist method is strongly advocated by Linda Dounia, who believes that these questions have to be raised. “AI isn’t created in an apolitical vacuum,” stated Dounia. “It is individuals who create the algorithms, interfaces, collect knowledge and use it to coach the algorithms. If these individuals are not conscious of the problems, we won’t appropriate the bias.”
Moreover, launching an NFT exhibition exploring these points can be a option to unfold a message inside the Web3 ecosystem, typically wrongly represented as an apolitical house. “I used to be a bit apprehensive in regards to the reactions after I began curating, however thus far, it has been well-received,” stated Dounia.
“Confetti, #7” by Nygilia
Furthermore, the artist emphasizes the significance of uplifting and empowering black artists, as they play an important position in addressing this concern. “If extra black artists start using the instrument to offer contextual references, they’re actively contributing knowledge to rectify the failings,” she defined, noting that this collective effort can result in a extra inclusive illustration of cultural references in a democratic method.
For the primary 24 hours following the exhibition’s opening at 14:00 UTC on 12 June, collectors may have the chance to accumulate units together with the ten artworks showcased on the occasion for 0.55 ETH per set.
After this restricted interval, particular person art work editions can be made obtainable for buy at 0.055 ETH per version.
