3 artists reimagine AI imagery through speculative photography

Dec 12, 2024

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Eva Kozanecka

Creative Strategist, Technology & Society

Alice Moloney

Creative Strategist, Technology & Society

In early 2024, the Envisioning Studio at Google invited three artists — Farah Al Qasimi, Charlie Engman and Max Pinckers — to create a collection titled "Alternative Images of AI." The project aimed to explore the potential of photography to create new visual representations of AI, specifically by centering human experiences and our relationships with this technology, moving beyond conventional depictions.

The need for alternative images of AI

Stereotypical images of AI abound on the internet, often including illustrations of chips, neural networks and robots. While these representations are common, they offer only a surface-level glimpse into the technology, often reinforcing misconceptions and failing to capture both its true potential and its challenges. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, it's important to consider how visuals shape our understanding and engagement with the technology. With this project, we wanted to collaboratively explore with artists how photography might help people relate differently to AI.

The “Alternative Images of AI” exhibition

“Alternative Images of AI” presents a series of photographs that offer new, global perspectives on AI. All 15 works in this project are now exhibited at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City until January 6, 2025. But you can also explore it digitally below.

Farah, Charlie and Max used speculative photography, which refers to techniques like staged scenes and digital manipulation, while capturing images of people in the United Arab Emirates, Ghana and Belgium, respectively.

Selected for their expertise in using photography to bridge the gap between reality and fiction, we asked the photographers to respond to one fundamental question: What are the relationships we want to have with technologies powered by artificial intelligence today and tomorrow?

To date, AI has been typically characterized as something that is largely invisible or un-photographable. These photographs act as samples of societal reflections, representing how each artist imagined different communities relating to AI. Our hope is that they spark productive public conversations around how interacting with AI might make us feel.

Farah Al Qasimi

Farah Al Qasimi’s approach is to imagine how our understanding of the natural world, and of each other, might surpass language or description. Her work, shot in Abu Dhabi, doesn’t attempt to overstate the presence of AI, but instead explores the ways it may enable us to form connections with others beyond the limitations of a screen.

In “Aquarium” by Farah Al Qasimi, a man gazes at his pet cockatoo and fish as he tries to understand their needs with the help of AI. “My practice really begins with truth, but then it kind of expands outward into different, playful forms of fiction and storytelling,” says Farah.

A man gazes at his pet cockatoo and fish through the view of an aquarium.

Charlie Engman

Charlie Engman considers how AI might address social and environmental issues in Accra, Ghana, home to one of the world’s largest secondhand clothing markets, Kantamanto Market. In January 2024, Charlie spoke with Kantamanto community members about the potential of AI in their daily lives. Many conversations centered around the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of waste colonialism and global commerce. Throughout his work, Charlie creates images that suggest how AI systems could tackle some of these challenges across Accra. In keeping with the speculative nature of the project, he employed the generative AI tool Midjourney to create the images, using photographs he shot on location as prompts.

In “Kantamanto Registry” by Charlie Engman, an AI model behaves as a kind of inventory for material goods and resources. "When I was approached for this project, I was thinking about what the future of AI was and what AI might mean to the world in general,” says Charlie. “I realized that a lot of the discourse and a lot of my own thinking around AI were trapped in a sort of bubble. I felt the discourse was quite repetitive and it was excluding a lot of different aspects of the world that I was interested in."

Women talk and interact in a busy marketplace, surrounded by colorful cylindrical tubs. A woman in the foreground holds a white zigzagging line that extends into the background. Large white slips of paper with black writing hang from a clothesline in the top right.

Max Pinckers

Max Pinckers infuses everyday scenes with speculative elements and surreal interventions, creating a space where the presence of AI is both palpable and enigmatic. Shot in Belgium, his work serves as a portal into a world where the lines between reality and imagination blur, inviting viewers to contemplate the evolving role of AI in our perceptions of the external world.

In “Double Take” by Max Pinckers, the twins represent the AI model mirroring a person. "My first thought was: How can we make photographs that play with a certain realism when we look at them, that don't immediately land in a fully fictitious world, but that represent the presence of AI as a part of our everyday environment?" says Max.

In side-by-side photos, two women lean against each other, facing opposite directions, in front of a busy cityscape. In the image on the left, the woman in a black jacket with blue hearts gazes into the camera with a furrowed brow. In the image on the right, the woman in a brown jacket gazes into the camera with a pensive expression.

The future of AI imagery

Beyond this exhibition, shifting toward more accurate and nuanced visuals of AI will require time and a collaborative effort. Ultimately, we believe that speculative imagery of AI can serve as a catalyst for critical reflection and constructive dialogue. For more details, check out this exhibition on Google Arts & Culture.

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