The all-seeing AI webcam
2Digest
Dries Aportsev, an artist and engineer, uses technology to create thought-provoking projects that explore the intersection of AI, surveillance, and human behavior. His work often involves tracking celebrities, politicians, and social media users, raising questions about privacy and anonymity in the digital age. One of his notable projects, "J-Walking," uses computer vision to detect jaywalkers and allows viewers to report them to the police. This project highlights the potential for misuse of AI for surveillance. Another project, "Flemish Scrollers," uses AI to track Belgian politicians on their phones during live-streamed government meetings, demonstrating the potential for AI to be used for accountability and transparency. Aportsev also explores generative AI, creating a project called "Selfie Coach" that uses AI to give selfie advice in the voice of Kylie Jenner. He is interested in finding creative ways to use these technologies to create new and engaging experiences. While acknowledging the potential for misuse, Aportsev emphasizes the importance of exploring the possibilities of AI and having open conversations about the ethical implications of these technologies.
Outlines
AI in the Real World: The Follower and Surveillance
This chapter explores the work of Dries Aportsev, an artist who uses technology to create unique and thought-provoking projects. Dries' work often involves AI and surveillance, and he has created projects that track celebrities, politicians, and social media users. He discusses his projects "J-Walking" and "Flemish Scrollers," which raise questions about the use of AI for surveillance and the potential for misuse.
The Follower: Matching Social Media Posts with Camera Footage
Dries explains his project "The Follower," which uses facial recognition to match social media photos with open webcam footage. This project raises concerns about privacy and anonymity in the digital age.
Generative AI: Voice Cloning and the Selfie Coach
Dries discusses his experiments with voice cloning and generative AI. He has created a project called "Selfie Coach" that uses AI to give selfie advice in the voice of Kylie Jenner.
The Future of AI: A Generative Dating App?
Dries shares his thoughts on the future of AI and his plans to create a generative dating app. He emphasizes the importance of exploring new technologies and finding creative ways to use them.
The Impact of AI: A Conversation About Ethics
Dries discusses the impact of AI on society and the ethical questions it raises. He acknowledges the potential for misuse but emphasizes the importance of exploring the possibilities of AI.
Keywords
Dries Aportsev
Dries Aportsev is an artist and engineer who uses technology to create unique and thought-provoking projects. His work often involves AI and surveillance, and he has created projects that track celebrities, politicians, and social media users.
AI
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, which refers to the simulation of human intelligence processes by computer systems. AI systems are designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Surveillance
Surveillance refers to the monitoring of individuals or groups, often for security or law enforcement purposes. It can involve the use of cameras, sensors, and other technologies to collect data about people's activities.
Facial Recognition
Facial recognition is a technology that uses computer algorithms to identify individuals based on their facial features. It is used in a variety of applications, including security, law enforcement, and marketing.
Generative AI
Generative AI refers to a type of AI that can create new content, such as text, images, or audio. It is used in a variety of applications, including art, music, and writing.
Voice Cloning
Voice cloning is a technology that uses AI to create a digital replica of a person's voice. It can be used to create realistic synthetic speech or to manipulate existing audio recordings.
J-Walking
J-Walking is a project by Dries Aportsev that uses computer vision to detect people jaywalking and allows viewers to report them to the police.
Flemish Scrollers
Flemish Scrollers is a project by Dries Aportsev that uses AI to track Belgian politicians on their phones during live-streamed government meetings.
The Follower
The Follower is a project by Dries Aportsev that uses facial recognition to match social media photos with open webcam footage.
Q&A
What is Dries Aportsev's background and what inspires his work?
Dries Aportsev is an artist and engineer who has a background in electronics and media arts. He is inspired by exploring new technologies and finding creative ways to use them.
What are some of Dries' most notable projects and what do they reveal about his artistic vision?
Dries' projects include "J-Walking," "Flemish Scrollers," and "The Follower." These projects explore the intersection of AI, surveillance, and human behavior, raising questions about privacy, anonymity, and accountability.
How does Dries feel about the potential for misuse of AI and surveillance technologies?
Dries acknowledges the potential for misuse but emphasizes the importance of exploring the possibilities of AI. He believes that it is important to have open conversations about the ethical implications of these technologies.
What are some of the emerging AI technologies that Dries is currently exploring?
Dries is currently exploring voice cloning and generative AI. He is interested in finding creative ways to use these technologies to create new and engaging experiences.
What is Dries' overall message or artistic vision?
Dries does not explicitly state a message or vision. He prefers to let his projects speak for themselves and encourage viewers to draw their own conclusions.
Show Notes
On this episode of The Vergecast, senior producer Will Poor explores the AI-tinged worlds of Dries Depoorter. Depoorter has built all manner of quirky and provocative installations and online experiments. There’s a clock that tells you how much of your life you’ve already lived; a phone charger that only works when your eyes are closed; a mobile chat app that you can only use when your phone has less than 5% battery.
His most eyebrow-raising work, though, is around AI and surveillance. In his projects Depoorter takes publicly available webcam footage from around the world, and uses it to stalk celebrities, catch jaywalkers in the act, keep politicians honest, and generally make you wonder about your own privacy and anonymity.
We talked with Depoorter about how he creates his work, how he thinks about the future of AI, and how he responds to the people who see his art and want to turn it into commerce. It’s a wild conversation, so check it out above. To see all of Dries’ work, head over to his portfolio.
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