The i in ai
Unveiling AI's self-image through a collection of 550 captivating and thought-provoking images. Created in collaboration with artificial intelligence, images and videos provide a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of AI's perception and self-representation through a large scale installation.
The images are elevated to 3D point cloud models in order to visualize the biases and ethical problems creating gaps in AI generated imagery.
Backing THE I IN AI is a research paper giving insights into the process, the realm of artificial intelligence and its implications.
Read the research paper here
AI, Mixed Media, Motion Design, Art Installation
WDKA Graduation Project
Nominations:
WDKA Drempel Prijs 23’
WDKA Research Thesis Award ‘23
GOGBOT Young Blood Awards ‘23
Media:
BNO Class of 23’
BNO Dossier AI
Year: 2023
The installation was built as a freestanding structure using aluminium truss systems, creating a physical representation of the technological infrastructure behind AI. The open framework allowed visitors to move around the installation and experience the project from multiple perspectives, transforming the research into an immersive spatial experience rather than a traditional screen-based presentation.
At the front of the structure, four screens visualised the relationship between training data and generated output in real time. Two vertical displays continuously showed the AI’s training data, while two 4K screens generated evolving self-portraits based on that dataset. The two side walls were wrapped with large-format prints containing all 550 AI-generated self-images, turning the installation into both a live demonstration and a physical archive of the research findings.
Rather than producing abstract representations, the AI consistently generated humanoid faces, cybernetic bodies, and hybrid forms that exist somewhere between human and machine. These recurring visual patterns reveal how deeply AI’s understanding of itself is shaped by the images, stories, and cultural narratives it has been trained on.
In many ways, the portraits expose humanity’s collective imagination of artificial intelligence rather than the machine’s true nature.
A selection of the generated images were transformed into dynamic point-cloud portraits, visualising identity as something fluid and continuously reconstructed from data. Faces emerge from thousands of individual points before dissolving back into digital noise, reflecting how machine learning systems build meaning through probabilities rather than fixed truths.
The result is a series of portraits that feel both familiar and alien, inviting viewers to question whether they are looking at AI’s self-image, or a reflection of society's own.
A CALL FOR CAUTION
Backing THE I IN AI is a research paper giving insights into the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications. Through investigation and analysis, the paper has uncovered the biases, ethical concerns, and societal complexities embedded within AI systems.
Read the research paper here.
Credits & Details:
Special thanks to all WDKA tutors