I’m hardly the first to notice the prevalence of image types used in media and discussions about Artificial Intelligence, invariably a humanoid robot.
Better Images of AI has summarized it so well.
Abstract, futuristic or science-fiction-inspired images of AI hinder the understanding of the technology’s already significant societal and environmental impacts.
Images relating machine intelligence to human intelligence set unrealistic expectations and misstate the capabilities of AI.
Images representing AI as sentient robots mask the accountability of the humans actually developing the technology, and can suggest the presence of robots where there are none.
Such images potentially sow fear, and research shows they can be laden with historical assumptions about gender, ethnicity and religion.
https://betterimagesofai.org/
I strongly recommend use of their alternative image collection, all licensed Creative Commons.
The Sadly Robotic Metaphors site was set up to gather examples of the opposite, the representations of robots and electric brains and monsters that seem to be everywhere. This is mostly in jest but also to invite criticism of publishers that make a human decision to use such trite and cliche imagery.
And this is open for anyone to contribute new examples- as a SPLOT (rhymes with bot!) anyone can add one directly, with no logins or needs to reveal your identity, unless you choose too. What I hope to collect here are sadly or even pathetically used AI metaphors either:
- Observed in published media, news articles, blog/newsletter posts that use imagery to symbolize AI
- Images generated by AI tools themselves that reinforce the stereoypes
Please share any or all, and include as much attribution for the image itself (e.g. what AI platform used to generate image).
Sadly Robotic Metaphors are Federated
An open site for sharing the worst cliche AI Generated images as representing AI- you know the humanoid robots, the electronic brains, all the blue glowing screens. As a SPLOT anyone can submit and take credit (or not) for sharing another sadly robotic metaphor for AI.
Others Wrote About This Way Before Me
I’m old school tagging other references in Pinboard, the latest 5:
- This profile explores the bad taste in representing Artificial Intelligence in science communication and marketing.
- We collect misleading/unrealistic/terrible pics of robots, bots, AI @notmyrobots is a twitter account that posts and retweets unrealistic or misleading visualizations of robots, bots, AI and other related technology.
- Through a consideration of examples of the AI Creation Meme, a remix of Michelangelo’s Creazione di Adamo featuring a human hand and a machine hand nearly touching, fingertip to fingertip, this article will tackle the religious continuities and resonances that still emerge in AI discourse in an allegedly ‘secular age’. The AI Creation Meme, as […]
- When Artificial Intelligence is brought up in a discussion, it branches out into myriad directions and adopts varying meanings. To some, AI embodies nothing more than a tool purposed for human endeavors—a captivating tool, yet a tool nonetheless. Others perceive the dawn of genuine forms of intelligence. Likewise, when some talk about in terms of […]
- AI as a flying blue brain? How metaphors influence our visions of AI Why is Artificial Intelligence so commonly depicted as a machine with a human brain? The narratives and metaphors of science fiction, media outlets and special interest groups about what is described by the term “Artificial Intelligence” (to make use of a metaphor […]
Also, strongly recommended references:
- Better Images of AI totally inspired me to collect the opposite
- AI Weirdness Janelle Shane’s thoughtful and fun experimental pokings of the AI box
Mostly share the robot metaphors!
— @cogdog
Image Credit: Artificial Intelligence & AI & Machine Learning flickr photo via www.vpnsrus.com shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
