In early 2024, the Envisioning Studio at Google invited three artists — Farah Al Qasimi, Charlie Engman and Max Pinckers — to create a group titled “Various Photos of AI.” The mission aimed to discover the potential of images to create new visible representations of AI, particularly by centering human experiences and {our relationships} with this expertise, transferring past standard depictions.
The necessity for different photographs of AI
Stereotypical photographs of AI abound on the web, usually together with illustrations of chips, neural networks and robots. Whereas these representations are widespread, they provide solely a surface-level glimpse into the expertise, usually reinforcing misconceptions and failing to seize each its true potential and its challenges. As AI turns into more and more built-in into our lives, it is necessary to contemplate how visuals form our understanding and engagement with the expertise. With this mission, we wished to collaboratively discover with artists how images may assist folks relate in a different way to AI.
The “Various Photos of AI” exhibition
“Various Photos of AI” presents a sequence of images that provide new, world views on AI. All 15 works on this mission are actually exhibited on the Worldwide Heart of Images (ICP) in New York Metropolis till January 6, 2025. However you may also discover it digitally under.
Farah, Charlie and Max used speculative images, which refers to methods like staged scenes and digital manipulation, whereas capturing photographs of individuals within the United Arab Emirates, Ghana and Belgium, respectively.
Chosen for his or her experience in utilizing images to bridge the hole between actuality and fiction, we requested the photographers to answer one basic query: What are the relationships we wish to have with applied sciences powered by synthetic intelligence at this time and tomorrow?
To this point, AI has been usually characterised as one thing that’s largely invisible or un-photographable. These images act as samples of societal reflections, representing how every artist imagined completely different communities referring to AI. Our hope is that they spark productive public conversations round how interacting with AI may make us really feel.
Farah Al Qasimi
Farah Al Qasimi’s strategy is to think about how our understanding of the pure world, and of one another, may surpass language or description. Her work, shot in Abu Dhabi, doesn’t try to overstate the presence of AI, however as a substitute explores the methods it might allow us to type connections with others past the restrictions of a display screen.
