Transliteracy and Critical Analysis for Digital Self-representation
In the realm of the digital platform, each individual has the opportunity to shape their own persona, reflecting not only their physical appearance but also their character, behavior, and interactions in the digital world. Self-representation on social media can provide additional freedom in shaping a new identity that may differ significantly from the physical world. According to Gee’s point of view, "A Discourse is a sort of 'identity kit' which comes complete with the appropriate costume and instructions on how to act, talk, and often write, so as to take on a particular role that others will recognize." (Medium, 2015).
Description of Creation Process:
To create my own AI selfie, I utilized the LightX AI selfie generator tool. The website offers a variety of options to create AI and design depending on my preferences. I chose two different photos captured by my phone, downloaded them to the website, and began navigating the options. I tried the default features such as light, queen, robot gladiator and many others. Some images closely resembled reality, while others altered my features with aging differences and enhanced visual appearances to look sharp or contemplative. Then, I decided to analyze the gladiator image as it implicitly reflects cultural dimensions.
Analysis of Representation:
In the analysis section, I examined the gladiator image because it resonates with my name, Gladis. The image also mirrors my skin and hair tone, reflecting the features commonly found in people from my country of origin. The depiction of the female's age, attire, and metallic elements symbolizes strength and resilience in my personality. Additionally, it evokes the cultural context associated with the ongoing war in my country of origin over the last decade. Tiidenberg (2018) argues that “Images function as truth claims by lending genre-specific authenticity” (Tiidenberg, 2018, p.68). Despite my choice of this image being the closest to reality, it still lacks a natural look and appears plastic-like.
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Incorporation of Feedback:
In response to the peer review and the instructor's suggestion for improvement, the analysis can be further expanded by reconnecting it with my explanation of digital selfie representation factors, such as authenticity. This idea aligns with the reading by Tiidenberg (2018), who argues that "fashion selfies follow the genre rules of OOTD images that emulate fashion spreads in glamor magazines, as well as (micro) celebrities". This can be clearly observed in the AI-created selfies, where most images adhere to typical criteria such as mid-age representation, skin color, long hair, and distortion-free features. While the images attempt to closely reflect my appearance and make it appear very close to reality, none of them can truly present my real-life persona in the digital world. The only image suitable for representing my true self is the one captured before any AI editing took place.
Ethical and Cultural Considerations:
I attempted to explore the ethical aspects of the website's privacy policy. The website claims that all images, numbers, and other data are protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, the website does not guarantee full protection for data.
- Link to the privacy policy; AI Photo Editor & AI Image Generator | LightX (lightxeditor.com)
Even though there was a variety of generated images, notably, there is a lack of diverse women's styles generated, which raises ethical concerns regarding inclusivity and diversity in AI representation. I did not notice images that display the variety of women's styles, such as short hair, darker skin color, curly hair, or body size, indicating that the algorithm was trained to adhere to unrealistic beauty standards.
Transliteracy:
Reflecting on a paper in a blog post was challenging, especially when we needed to touch on most ideas briefly while incorporating peer review feedback and referring to course readings essential to the work. The style of the blog post is typically more casual, requiring a reinterpretation of the writing in a completely different style. Finding a balance between preserving the essence of the analysis and tailoring it to suit the blog post style, while also creating engaging blog images, videos, and links, was essential.
In conclusion, in my previous Pinterest blog post, I discussed the power of AI generators and their ability to create selfies even for unreal person. These generators likely use human features from the data fed into them. Looking ahead, I anticipate that AI will continue to evolve, potentially improving its ability to serve human imagination by analyzing data to create images that more authentically represent diverse human perspectives. Additionally, I foresee the development of more neutral AI, where various features of humans can be depicted in generated representations, moving away from the beauty standards perpetuated by algorithms.
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