‘Algorithmic Frontiers’ Explores the Collision of Art and Algorithms

Interactive digital exhibit by Mozilla Creative Media Awardee Valentine Goddard probes AI-generated art to discuss the role of art in democracy

(MONTRÉAL, KANIEN’KÉHA, CANADA | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2024) -- Generative AI technology impacts society in broad and deep ways — ways that don’t always make headlines. These tools are increasingly intertwined with controversial issues like cultural expression, artists’ rights, and gender bias, all of which have serious implications.

Algorithmic Frontiers, a new interactive digital art experience by Valentine Goddard, explores these intersections using AI-generated art. The exhibit is previewing today (March 6) and launching in full March 8.

The exhibit’s 12 pieces of AI-generated and AI-assisted art are commentary on the very medium itself. The data used to generate the artwork was contributed by women/womxn from over 40 countries. Contributors built the training dataset (i.e. a collection of words) in February 2020 (before the launch of DALL.E) after being given just three broad prompts: “Woman,” “Beauty,” and “Imperfection.”

In one artwork, “Selfie,” analog film is mixed with algorithmic variations to explore the objectification of women by AI. In another, “Speak,” a combination of watercolor and RunwayML-generated video explore gender inequity in AI systems. In a third, “Peace & Doves,” a generative AI tool is trained on Goddard’s oeuvre and then prompted to create something à la Picasso — sparking a conversation about artists’ rights.

The exhibit features a RAG — a chatbot trained not on a massive dataset scraped from the web, but rather a set of policy documents and artworks provided by Goddard. It also features a discussion board” to facilitate conversations about the topics discussed in the art-pieces.

A launch event for the project will be held Friday, March 8 at 12pm ET; register here.

Goddard has also launched a petition calling for artist representation and equity in the generative AI space. The petition lists eight high-level guidelines, and has already garnered more than 2,000 signatures from artists, technologists, and others.

Valentine Goddard is an artist and AI-expert based in Montréal, KANIEN’KÉHA. Algorithmic Frontiers is part of the 2023 Creative Media Awards cohort exploring AI and responsible design.

Says Goddard: “Algorithmic Frontiers investigates the morphing definition of art in an era of generative AI. The project explores fair, equitable, and sustainable uses of the technology, but also the ways it can threaten culture, diverse expression, and the foundations of democracy itself.”

Mozilla Creative Media Awards uplift art and media to communicate complex technical concepts, deepening society’s understanding of technology and demanding accountability from those who build and deploy it. Past awardees have created interactive experiences, games, videos, films and more, and projects have gone on to show at a variety of regional and global film festivals (IDFA, Tribeca, TIFF, Cannes) and museums (Tate Modern, MoMA, HKW), to name a few.