Unveiling the Bias: A.I. and the Struggle for Recognition in Art

Black artists are raising concerns about racial bias in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in image generators. Many artists have found evidence of bias in the large data sets used to train AI algorithms, resulting in distorted or stereotypical depictions of Black people. Companies like OpenAI, Stability AI, and Midjourney have acknowledged the problem and pledged to improve their tools. However, artists argue that the biases are deeply embedded in these systems and call for a more nuanced understanding of Black culture and history. The issue of bias in AI algorithms goes beyond data sets and is rooted in the history of machine learning, which was developed by predominantly white male scientists. Some companies have attempted to address bias by banning certain words from text prompts, but experts argue that this approach avoids the fundamental issues of bias in the underlying technology. Despite the challenges, Black artists continue to explore and utilize AI in their work, albeit with skepticism.