The deception of an infinite view – exploring machine vision in digital art

This paper examines prediction product called Queryable Earth a project to “make Earth searchable for all”. A project pitched by the company Planet, owner of the largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites in orbit and an archive of satellite images growing with terabytes of fresh data every day. The aim of Queryable Earth is to combine geospatial intelligence with machine learning. By training artificial neural networks to classify objects, identify geographic features, and monitor change over time, the implied intention is to create a predictive, omniscient oracle. In this paper Queryable Earth functions as an example of a ‘nonconscious cognitive assemblage’ combining aerial image with machine learning techniques such as artificial neural networks. To examine the predictive potential and the assumed objectivity of machine vision systems such as Queryable Earth I turn to histories of aerial photography and examples of contemporary digital art to illustrate how human and technical cognition entwine revealing how seemingly automated processes such as rendering of satellite images and pattern recognition still inherit human biases and are prone to emphasize them. Furthermore, I use digital artworks to illustrate how Queryable Earth as an “all seeing machine” is limited to a singular aerial perspective which cannot penetrate the surface and how predictions produced by such systems are constrained the quality and selection of data they are trained on.

Content

Author and article information

Contributors

Linda Kronman

Conference

Publication date: June 2019

Publication date (Print): June 2019

Pages: 70-77

Affiliations

[0001]University of Bergen

Sydnesplassen 7, Bergen, Norway

Article

DOI: 10.14236/ewic/POM19.11

SO-VID: 1126c11e-e5ca-41b7-834a-21fc46809f9a

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Conference name: Politics of the Machine Beirut 2019

Conference acronym: POM2019

Conference number: 2

Conference location: Beirut, Lebanon

Conference date: 11-14 June 2019

Conference sponsor: Electronic Workshops in Computing (eWiC)

Conference theme: Politics of the Machine

History

Product

1477-9358 BCS Learning & Development

Self URI (article page): https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14236/ewic/POM19.11

Self URI (journal page): https://ewic.bcs.org/

REFERENCES

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Comments

Comment on this article

[1] C. ApprichW. H. K. ChunF. CramerH Steyerl 2019 Pattern discrimination Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press

[2] D. Archibald 1897 The story of the earth’s atmosphere Retrieved from http://archive.org/details/storyearthsatmo02archgoog

[3] Background – The Digital Belt and Road (DBAR) (n.d.). Retrieved July 30 2019 http://dbeltroad.org/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=lists&catid=55

[4] A. BazdyrievaA. OrlovS. Suess 2018 Geocinema [Expanded Cinema] Retrieved from https://geocinema.network/

[5] R. Bishop 2011 Project ‘Transparent Earth’ and the Autoscopy of Aerial Targeting: The Visual Geopolitics of the Underground Theory, Culture & Society 28 7-8 270 286 https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276411424918

[6] A. Bousquet 2018 The Eye of War: Military Perception from the Telescope to the Drone Minneapolis, London University of Minnesota Press

[7] J. BuolamwiniT. Gebru 2018 Gender Shades: Intersectional Accuracy Disparities in Commercial Gender Classification In Conference on Fairness, Accountability and Transparency 77 91 Retrieved from http://proceedings.mlr.press/v81/buolamwini18a.html

[8] I. Burrington 2016 Reconnaissance [Prints] Retrieved from https://www.artsy.net/show/nome-reconnaissance

[9] S. Chen 2018 June 24 China’s robotic spy birds take surveillance to new heights South China Morning Post Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2152027/china-takes-surveillance-new-heights-flock-robotic-doves-do-they

[10] R. Courtland 2018 Bias detectives: the researchers striving to make algorithms fair Nature 558 357 https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05469-3

[11] S. Dalí 1931 Persistence of Memory [Painting] Museum of Modern Art

[12] L. DastonP. Galison 2010 Objectivity Zone Books

[13] H. Davis Generating emotional landscapes – part 1 Retrieved July 30 2019 http://www.hannahishere.com/generating-emotional-landscapes-part-1/

[14] V. Flusser 2000 Towards a Philosophy of Photography London Reaktion Books

[15] D. Haraway 1988 Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of PartialPerspective. Feminist Studies 14 3 575 599

[16] K. Hayles 2017 Unthought: The Power of the Cognitive Nonconscious Chicago The University of Chicago Press

[17] J. Heiser 2014 March 12 Safety in Numbers? Frieze Retrieved from https://frieze.com/article/safety-numbers

[18] A. Hern 2018 January 28 Fitness tracking app Strava gives away location of secret US army bases The Guardian Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/28/fitness-tracking-app-gives-away-location-of-secret-us-army-bases

[19] I. HoelzlR. Marie 2015 Softimage Bristol and Chicago Intellect

[20] Is artificial intelligence set to become art’s next medium? | Christie’s 2018 December 12 Retrieved July 30 2019 https://www.christies.com/features/A-collaboration-between-two-artists-one-human-one-a-machine-9332-1.aspx

[21] N. Jones 2014 Computer science: The learning machines Nature News 505 7482 146 https://doi.org/10.1038/505146a

[22] T. B. Lee 2018 December 18 How computers got shockingly good at recognizing images Ars Technica Retrieved April 10 2019 https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/12/how-computers-got-shockingly-good-at-recognizing-images/

[23] KairUs 2018 Sharing locations: YONGSAN & HUMPHREY GARRISON. [Mixed Media] Retrieved from http://kairus.org/portfolio/sharing-location-yongsan-humphrey-garrison/

[24] C. Kaplan 2018 Aerial Aftermaths: Wartime from Above Duke University Press

[25] G. Kogan 2016 Machine Learning for Artists Retrieved July 30 2019 https://ml4a.github.io/

[26] W. Marshall 2017 February 3 Planet to Acquire Terra Bella from Google, Sign Multi-Year Data Contract Retrieved July 30 2019 https://www.planet.com/pulse/planet-to-acquire-terra-bella-from-google/

[27] W. Marshall 2018 July 17 Queryable Earth: Our Vision for Making Daily Global Imagery Accessible and Actionable Retrieved April 10 2019 https://www.planet.com/pulse/queryable-earth-our-vision-for-making-daily-global-imagery-accessible-and-actionable/

[28] A. MordvintsevC. OlahM. Tyka 2015 June 17 Inceptionism: Going Deeper into Neural Networks Retrieved July 30 2019 from Google AI Blog website: http://ai.googleblog.com/2015/06/inceptionism-going-deeper-into-neural.html

[29] S. Myers WestM. WhittakerK. Crawford 2019 DISCRIMINATING SYSTEMS Gender, Race, and Power in AI Retrieved from AI Now Institut website: https://ainowinstitute.org/discriminatingsystems.pdf

[30] M. A. Nielsen 2015 Neural Networks and Deep Learning Retrieved from http://neuralnetworksanddeeplearning.com

[31] Obvious collective (created by Generative Adversarial Network) 2018 Edmond de Belamy, from La Famille de Belamy [Generative Adversarial Network print] Retrieved from https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lotdetails.aspx?intObiectID=6166184&from=salesummery&intObjectID=6166184&sid=18abf70b-239c-41f7-bf78-99c5a4370bc7

[32] T. Paglen 2014 March 13 Seeing Machines -Still searching – Fotomuseum Winterthur Retrieved April 11 2019 http://www.fotomuseum.ch/en/explore/still-searching/articles/26978seeing machines

[33] T. Paglen 2017 Comet (Corpus: Omens and Portents) Adversarially Evolved Hallucination [Dye sublimation metal print] Retrieved from https://www.metropictures.com/artists/trevor-paglen

[34] A. Patrizio 2018 July 9 The AI revolution has spawned a new chips arms race Ars Technica Retrieved April 10 2019 https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/07/the-ai-revolution-has-spawned-a-new-chips-arms-race/

[35] Planet 2018a TED 2018 – Planet CEO Will Marshall on Queryable Earth. [Vimeo Video] Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/280233180

[36] Planet 2018b FOSS4G-NA 2018 Keynote: Towards a Queryable Earth – YouTube. [Youtube Video] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixfA4WaYPrc&feature=youtu.be

[37] Reconnaissance 2016 Retrieved July 30 2019 https://www.artsy.net/show/nome-reconnaissance

[38] Satellite Imagery Insight and Monitoring Solutions by Market 2019 April 29 Retrieved July 30 2019 from Planet website: https://planet.com/markets/

[39] sensu lato:: im weiteren Sinne 2018 November 24 Retrieved July 30 2019 https://www.mur.at/project/sensu-lato/

[40] Smithsonian American Art Museum 2018 Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen Exhibition Panel Discussion – YouTube Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svUQSZBP9Tg&feature=youtu.be&t=2855

[41] H. Steyerl 2019 January Stop Making Sense: The Language of Broken Glass Presented at the HKW Berlin Retrieved from https://monoskop.org/log/?p=20976

[42] C. Valla (n.d.). Postcards from Google Earth | Info Retrieved July 30 2019 http://www.postcards-from-google-earth.com/info

[43] C. Valla 2014 Postcards from Google Earth. [Prints] Retrieved April 12 2019 http://www.postcards-from-google-earth.com/

[44] E. Vavarella 2012 THE GOOGLE TRILOGY -3.The Driver and the Cameras. [Prints] Retrieved from http://emiliovavarella.com/archive/google-trilogy/driver-and-cameras/

[45] A. Zingerle 2009 Der Überflieger [Mixed media] Retrieved from http://www.andreaszingerle.com/der-uberflieger/

[46] J. ZouL. Schiebinger 2018 AI can be sexist and racist — it’s time to make it fair Nature 559 7714 324 https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05707-8

[47] S. Zuboff 2019 The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power London Profile Books

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