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Meet the artists reclaiming AI from big tech – with the help of cats, bees and drag queens

Aug 10, 2023 - theguardian.com
The article discusses the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in art, focusing on the work of London-based artist Jake Elwes. Elwes's piece, The Zizi Show, uses deepfake technology to create AI-generated drag performers, highlighting the potential of AI in art and its ability to challenge societal norms. The article also mentions other artists using AI in their work, such as Fast Familiar's installation Looking for Love, which explores the concept of love through a chatbot, and Blast Theory's Cat Royale, which uses AI to interact with cats.

The article raises concerns about the ethical implications of AI, including issues of privacy, consent, and the potential for AI to reinforce existing biases. It also discusses the potential for AI to be used for positive change, such as in Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg's Pollinator Pathmaker, which uses AI to create garden planting schemes that support pollinators. The article concludes by suggesting that artists using AI can help us understand and critically engage with this technology.

Key takeaways:

  • The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is showcasing a deepfake drag cabaret called The Zizi Show, created by artist Jake Elwes, as part of its new suite of galleries devoted to photography.
  • Artists are using AI critically in ways that Silicon Valley evangelists would not expect, creating works that help us to think more clearly about the uses and limits of a technology that sometimes appears worryingly boundless.
  • Exhibitions like AI: Who’s Looking After Me? at the Science Gallery in London, are exploring how developments in AI technology are already affecting our lives.
  • Artists are also questioning whether AI could be wrested from corporate forces, and more equitable systems developed. For example, Elwes worked with drag kings and queens to train AI systems on new data made up of their images and video footage, in an attempt to reclaim the technology for the queer community.
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