Face Values: Exploring Artificial Intelligence

Computers now complete many tasks that formerly required human thought—from playing chess to transcribing a phone call. These advances are called artificial intelligence or A.I. Many A.I. systems rely on "machine learning," in which software looks for patterns in a large group of images, texts, or other data so that it can "learn" to do something useful, such as identify faces in a photograph or find signs of cancer in a scan.

A.I. can be biased or manipulative. Governments and corporations collect images from social media and public places, using this data to monitor identity and classify emotions. Personal photos and videos are stockpiled without permission. Flawed algorithms amplify bias. Faulty law enforcement tools can trigger harassment and false arrests. Measured and monetized, our faces have become valuable data, sold and circulated without public oversight.

Come explore the possibilities and limits of A.I. by interacting with technologies such as face detection, emotion recognition, and eye tracking. The dramatic installation design of this exhibition features a canopy of abstract, synthetic reeds, suggesting an uneasy marriage of nature and technology.