Zauberberg Productions Showcases AI Installation That Judges People Based on Their Appearance

“Can AI know who I am just by looking at me?” this was the question that the multidisciplinary duo mots asked themselves as they began to create their latest artwork. 

The 'AI & Me' installation started as a collection of pieces showing how AI sees us but has turned into something more. It's become a real eye-opener about how much we're okay with letting a machine judge our looks, all just to find out what it thinks about us. 

It was launched in 2023 in Germany, was co-produced with Zauberberg Productions, and is currently touring in several locations in Europe, with over 4000 participants to date. Last week it won three prizes at the ADC Festival in Hamburg.

The multi-piece installation builds up in real-time, based on the interaction with its participants. 

It all starts with “The Confessional", a candid machine that delivers an opinion about individuals based on their outward appearance. The machine can just glance at someone and bluntly say what it thinks about them, without sugar-coating it, which might come off as pretty straightforward or even a bit rude. 

“We built "The Confessional" not necessarily as a booth of judgement, but as an interactive machine, exposing without intent our addiction to validation and the sobering idea that being reduced to data points can, in fact, be entertaining” said Octavian Mot, artist @mots.

Accompanying pieces like 'AI Ego,' Siblings', 'Opinions', 'Seen by AI', and 'Profiled by AI' further expand this narrative, offering diverse, AI-generated interpretations of human identity and existence. 

You can check the other pieces of the installation directly on the artists' website. For a deeper dive into the ideas behind the project, see this video essay. 

The installation invites people to reflect on more than just the novelty of AI's interpretations of our appearances. It serves as a crucial conversation starter about the ethical dimensions of AI in our lives. By confronting us with raw, unfiltered judgments and hypothetical alter egos, the work by mots underscores the pressing need to consider the biases and labels that AI can perpetuate. Each seemingly playful depiction carries the weighty reminder that our data isn't just fodder for algorithms, it's the essence of our identity, privacy, and individuality.

'AI & Me' will next be showcased at Sónar+D in Barcelona from June 13-15, located in the Project Area. The artists will be present and available for interviews and discussions. 

Following that, the installation will be at the Sziget Festival in Budapest from August 7-12.

Find out more about the 2024 exhibitions here.

Learn more about the installation here.