Cadie Desbiens-Desmeules
Meta.Morf 2024 – [up]Loaded Bodies / Kjøpmannsgata Ung Kunst, / Conference April 19 / Curator: Zane Cerpina
Unveiling the Bias: Reflection on Algorithmic Fairness
Cadie Desbiens-Desmeules presents UNMATCHED and I’M NOT A ROBOT, two interactive installations that examine the pervasiveness of algorithmic bias and its potential for discrimination. Desbiens-Desmeules’ playful but critical art practice challenges the opacity of algorithms and exposes the underlying biases and human cost often obscured behind the development of AI.
“UNMATCHED” delves into the world of dating applications, where algorithms play a central role in determining user compatibility. The work draws inspiration from investigative journalism exposing manipulative practices within these platforms, specifically highlighting the tension between user desires for genuine connection and the app’s focus on maximizing user engagement. Desbiens-Desmeules is delving into the underlying data that fuels these algorithms. By feeding user descriptions as prompts into large language models and image-generating models, the work unveils the inherent biases embedded within the vast datasets used to train AI. The resulting images and descriptions, often stereotypical and hypersexualized, particularly for non-heteronormative individuals, serve as a stark reminder of the discriminatory biases ingrained within the technology itself.
“I’M NOT A ROBOT” shifts the focus to the human cost of training AI systems, what some call “ghost work” or “human-fuelled automation,” as many overlook the fact that AI requires too many underpaid workers to help build, maintain, and test AI systems. The title itself references the ubiquitous CAPTCHA challenges, seemingly innocuous tasks that contribute significantly to training AI models. However, the work delves deeper, exposing the exploitative nature of platforms like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, where individuals perform “microtasks” for meager compensation. Through the manipulation of images and the creation of an endless loop of unidentifiable “CatCar” creatures, the work playfully disrupts the very process of data labeling, the fuel that powers machine learning.
Desbiens-Desmeules is drawing on her background experience as a journalist and creative director. She casts a critical eye over technological trends with artworks that provoke thoughts and internal discussions around how we relate and engage with new technologies such as AI. Ultimately, Desbiens-Desmeules’ artistic projects pave the way for a broader discussion on promoting transparency and accountability in the development and deployment of AI, fostering a future where these technologies do not perpetuate or exacerbate existing inequalities and can serve as tools for progress and inclusivity.
Cadie Desbiens-Desmeules (CA/PT), born in 1985, is a Canadian artist working between generative art and live performance. Her practice is either site-specific or installation-based, spanning immersive environments and augmented reality. Drawing on her background experience as a journalist, she casts a critical eye on technological trends with artworks that provoke thoughts and internal discussions about how we relate and engage with new technologies. Desbiens-Desmeules has presented her work worldwide, including digital art festivals and art galleries such as Arsenal Contemporary Art, the International Symposium for Electronic Art (ISEA), and TodaysArt.
In 2019, We Are Europe (WAE) selected Desbiens-Desmeules as one of the 64 artists, speakers, and public figures they consider the most inspiring European personalities. In 2021, her work was selected for the 5th International Digital Art Biennial (BIAN) alongside artists like Refik Anadol and Ryochi Kurokawa. Desbiens-Desmeules is currently based in Lisbon, Portugal. She continues to be active as a creative director and visual artist at Push 1 stop, collaborating with top industry talent and agencies such as Silent Partners Studio, where she has been working for Riot Games, Beyonce, Jay-Z, BTS, Billie Eilish, and Bruno Mars just to name a few.
Header Graphics: “Unmatched–app,” courtesy of the artist.