In the ever-evolving digital world, the
way we represent ourselves has changed. From the introduction of the iPhone to
the wide use of selfies, new technology brings innovation in the way we express
our individuality. Now with the widespread adoption of AI, there is yet another
method for capturing and
presenting ourselves. As AI breaks into our
daily lives, the need to deeply examine its impact on the con. The intersection
between our perception of ourselves and new media is growing smaller as we
start to determine ourselves from a new lens, one that pushes the boundaries of what it means to be human.
Artificial intelligence can provide a powerful tool for creating
unique and dynamic self-portraits that allow users to transcend their physical
limitations and explore new ways of representing
their true self. However, it also raises important questions about the
ethics of AI's role in identity and its potential impact on the future of the
digital world.I believe
that the selfie's importance in modern
society lies in its ability to allow individuals to create a narrative
of themselves. By choosing which moments to capture and which to leave behind,
we can represent ourselves in a way that is both reflective
and carefully curated.
Creation Process
To test how well AI can represent myself, I used NovelAI’s image
generation services (NovelAI, n.d.). NovelAI’s ability to generate the look of
hand-drawn artwork made the selfies less a reflection of reality than the
broader ideas presented. In NovelAI’s image generation, each image is created
using keywords and optionally a base that the AI can reference from. To reduce
oneself into a myriad of generalized words was a limitation for
self-expression, but it also enhanced how much others can relate to the
produced images. This is particularly important for the idea of selfies as a
social movement, as this can allow more people to identify with the themes
presented. All images used a simplified description of myself: male, pink hair,
and glasses.
These AI selfies
each hold a theme that I believe represents me as a person, but also the context I exist in. As a transgender
man from Kyrgyzstan, AI provides the ability to see myself through a lens that
is entirely controlled by me. No longer am I trapped within the confines of my
own environment and body and can instead take on an identity that is far more
fantastical.
Selfie 1 & 2
With the
transphobia prevalent in Kyrgyzstan, the image of a transgender man standing
with pride in front of or even holding the flag, like the first and second
image, is no doubt going to raise some eyebrows. But the need for positive
digital representation of transgender people is growing, especially considering
the current hypervisibility of LGBT people in the media.
A transgender woman in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan talking about her experiences
As discussed by Kurmanov and
Kurmanov (2023), forced outing and transphobia has flooded social media
platforms, pushing transgender people into the spotlight. Photos and videos,
most posted without the consent of the subjects, of transgender people take away
their ability to represent themselves. These images can become the source of
harassment, violence and even stalking (Kurmanov and Kurmanov, 2023). Selfies,
therefore, can serve as a method for taking back the self-expression and
representation taken by opposition groups and becoming part of a larger
movement (Liu et al, 2017). In this context, identity expressed in selfies
become much more relevant, to take back their own narrative to show who they
are.
Selfie 5
Home by Cavetown - a song about being transgender and the outside perceptions of it
Selfie 5 therefore, goes further,
showing a reality where even self-representation does not always go far enough.
With the rise of transgender visibility in digital spaces comes the idea of
performance and consistent exposure of the self. Proulx (2016) says that digital
spaces have developed certain ‘codes’ that queer people have been forced to
follow in fear of stigmatization. Transgender people in particular are held to
a standard of exposing their ‘real’ identity and to express their self in an
authentic way. However, when a ‘real’ self does not exist, one is driven to
construct it and portray it to an audience (Proulx, 2016). As such, gender
identity becomes akin to a performance and selfies the stage. In my selfie, the
perception of myself in the mirror and the physical self are not identical, one
presenting a more feminine image and the other masculine. The question of who
the ‘real’ self is becomes complex, as there is no definitive answer. This idea
of authenticity is one transgender people battle with constantly to be accepted,
making their gender identity rigid and unchanging rather than fluid and
abstract.
Youtuber Hello Future Me discusses in depth the implications of AI Art technology
Selfie 3 & 4
As both a writer and an artist, the
works I create are themselves a method for self-expression like selfies. Artists
often struggle with creating their own digital identity and the pressure to
self-censor to succeed (Koosel, 2013). For me, this meant that the works I
created would go unpublished, afraid of the scrutiny I might get and the
inadequacy of my art. Therefore, in these two selfies, the process of creating
art is either hindered with the trash surrounding me or trapped within the
confines of my laptop. But in the broader context, an important question is raised
about what it means to be an artist when surrounded by AI art from all sides.
Not only do artists have to compete with machines who can produce images in
seconds, but they not also face concerns of their own art being stolen for the
purpose of recreating it. This undoubtedly makes us question whether or not AI
selfies are in themselves theft and whether or not we need to reexamine their
purpose and ethics.
Conclusion
It is clear that the rise of new
media and AI technology has drastically impacted the way we present ourselves
and our identities. As selfies and other forms of self-representation become
more accessible, the need for authenticity becomes even more important.
However, with the ability to generate new and more elaborate
self-representations, the lines between truth and fiction become blurred. In
the future, AI and other forms of creative technology will undoubtedly continue
to shape and redefine our understanding of self-identity. As a result, it is
crucial for us to continue to critically examine the impact of AI on identity
formation and to ensure that we maintain the autonomy and authenticity of our
personal narratives.
References
Koosel, S. M. (2013). Artists and digital
culture: (the strain of) self-promotion in social media. Media
Transformations, 10. https://doi.org/10.7220/2029-865x.10.04
Kurmanov, A., & Kurmanov, S. (2023).
Digital misrecognitions: the violence of visibility in postsocialist
Kyrgyzstan. Central Asian Survey, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2023.2278513
Liu, F., Ford, D., Parnin, C., &
Dabbish, L. (2017). Selfies as social movements. Proceedings of the ACM on
Human-computer Interaction, 1(CSCW), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1145/3134707
Comments
Post a Comment