At 300 Ashland Place in downtown Brooklyn, The Plaza will feature attendees gathered around a large yellow shipping container adorned with a black triangle. I acknowledge that the Flying Goose Quilt pattern may have functioned as a covert signal for enslaved individuals seeking freedom along the Underground Railroad. This design and the containers create a connection between the historical and contemporary narratives of the African diaspora. Central to an artistic initiative by Brooklyn-based transmedia artist Stephanie Dinkins, a large screen showcases AI-generated imagery reflecting urban diversity.

Commissioned by the New York-based art nonprofit Moartia Art and developed in collaboration with architect Lot-EK and The AI Laboratory, the exhibit titled Otherwise, Who Will Do It? will be open until September 28th. It aims to confront the ideologies of white supremacy by emphasizing the resilience and cultural foundations of the Black community.

In an era where society increasingly relies on AI, Dinkins envisions a future where these models comprehend and reflect the histories, aspirations, and realities of Black and Brown communities, thereby providing a more accurate representation of U.S. demographics. She expresses belief that her initiatives will reshape the AI landscape, challenging the prevailing bias in data that fails to represent the global majority. Currently, Black individuals comprise merely 7.4% of the high-tech workforce. Studies indicate that a lack of diversity in AI can lead to biased outcomes, as seen with predictive policing tools affecting Black communities and tenant screening programs that discriminate against people of color.

“We can develop machines that offer deeper insights into our community. Our representations should not stem from outsiders, which often results in misinterpretation; instead, they should reflect our identities as human beings, not merely as consumers,” Dinkins stated. “I pose the question: ‘Can we establish a system rooted in care and generosity?'”

Inside the AI lab, one image features a young Black girl with an afro, her gaze piercingly directed at the audience, accentuating her artificiality. Surrounding the public art installation are QR codes linked to an app that allows users worldwide to respond to prompts, such as “What privilege do you hold in society?” This interactive element integrates with the container; shortly thereafter, a generated image reflecting the submitted information will appear on the large screen. This image—mainly portraying a person of color—continues until new data is provided, regardless of the submitter’s own identity.

Dinkins has programmed the AI-generated art to focus on Black and Brown perspectives. She adjusted various AI models that identify patterns through specific datasets. Collaborating with her team, they sourced images from the renowned Black photographer Roy DeCarava, who documented the lives of Black individuals in Harlem. They also incorporated African American English to shape models recognizing its distinct tonality, resulting in more authentic image generation based on user stories. Additionally, she included images of okra—a staple in dishes of enslaved Africans and their descendants—serving as symbols connecting the past to the present within the portraits.

“We exist within a technological framework that’s altering our reality. If we remain uninformed, we lose the ability to navigate it effectively,” Dinkins remarked. While she empathizes with the public’s urge to protect privacy in the age of AI, she emphasizes the necessity of spaces that clarify that certain information is not intended for exploitation.

Democratizing AI

Dinkins was recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in AI for 2023. With no formal technology education, she identifies as a “tinkerer.” She portrays Bina Rothblatt, the founder of a for-profit initiative focused on extending human life, inspired by a YouTube video featuring Bina48, an AI robot, more than a decade ago.

Her ongoing project Conversations with Bina48 documents video interviews with this robotic entity, starting in 2014. Later, she developed her own AI system intended to serve as a memoir for a Black American family. Through her initiative, It’s Not the Only One, Dinkins created a voice-responsive device that engages with passersby while being trained to converse with Nie and her aunt.

Lewis Tude Sokey, an English professor at Boston University, suggests Dinkins’ work is a crucial step toward democratizing AI by bringing technology to marginalized voices in spaces traditionally devoid of their representation. “There exists a troubling precedent of algorithms producing racist and sexist content. They are often trained on data from the internet, rife with harmful stereotypes,” Tude Sokey, who specializes in technology and race, explained.

“What Stephanie aims to explore is the possibility of training different algorithms to respond to diverse datasets that liberate content and include socially marginalized perspectives,” Tude Sokey noted.

Dinkins and fellow artists are reshaping the AI narrative, as highlighted by Tude Sokey: “There’s a significant cultural, political, and social realignment occurring within AI.” Dinkins embraces a philosophy she refers to as Afro-Now Rhythm, which she interprets as a proactive approach toward building a more equitable world—a “celebration of the potential to see technology as a force we can harness rather than fear.”

For Beth Coleman, a professor at the University of Toronto specializing in technology and society, it is vital to train AI models using diverse datasets to ensure accurate representations of the world. Dinkins’ work questions which voices are integrated into the technological ecosystems, she emphasized.

“There exists a thriving energy around collaborative efforts to craft a better world together,” Coleman remarked regarding Dinkins’ initiatives. “At this juncture, it feels profoundly revolutionary.”