Event 3: LASER: De-colonizing AI

    In a rapidly advancing technological landscape, artists have a unique position to critically examine and challenge the nature of artificial intelligence (AI). I had the pleasure of attending this event, which explores the intersection of AI, art, and social equity, with a particular focus on the impact of AI on marginalized communities. I believe that by addressing questions of access, agency, and bias within the art ecosystem, this event sought to recenter cosmologies that have been historically marginalized or erased through processes of colonization. 

Figure 1. A Result of Bias in Dataset

    What especially stood out to me during the event was their acknowledgment that AI technologies, while powerful and transformative, can perpetuate bias and marginalize certain social groups, including people of color, immigrants, and women. What I thought was so important about this event was the engagement in critical dialogue, in which artists are uniquely positioned to address these issues and advocate for equity within the art ecosystem. I think that through their artistic practice, they can question the patterns of power that shape our intellectual, political, economic, and social worlds, thus enabling the emergence of marginalized cosmologies and knowledge systems.

 

Figure 2. AI Generated “Birth of Venus”

    I loved how this event served as a platform for artists, scholars, and thinkers to challenge the status quo and redefine the narrative surrounding AI and its impact on the art ecosystem. I believe that by embracing diverse perspectives and fostering critical dialogue, it offers an opportunity to explore ways in which art can contribute to the decolonization of AI and promote access, agency, and equity. The outcomes of these dialogues have the potential to shape the future of AI in a manner that is more inclusive, ethical, and attuned to the needs of marginalized communities.



Sources:

  1. Mhlambi, Sábëlo, and Simona Tiribelli. "Decolonizing AI ethics: relational autonomy as a means to counter AI harms." Topoi (2023): 1-14.

  2. Peña, Paz, and Joana Varon. “Decolonising AI: A transfeminist approach to data and social justice.” Medium, 2020, https://medium.com/codingrights/decolonising-ai-a-transfeminist-approach-to-data-and-social-justice-a5e52ac72a96. Accessed 8 June 2023.

  3. Png, Marie-Therese. “Decolonizing AI.” Boston Review, 20 May 2021, https://www.bostonreview.net/forum_response/decolonizing-ai/. Accessed 8 June 2023.




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