Qingyi Ren (they/them) is a non-binary digital artist and researcher whose work delves into the intersection of art, technology, and social justice. With a passion for unravelling the complex web of gender theory, AI ethics, and digital identity.
They Currently based in Basel and Linz, dedicate their artistic practice to unveiling the subtle biases ingrained within the realm of machine learning and its profound impact on marginalized identities. Through their thought-provoking artistry, they challenge the status quo and inspire critical conversations surrounding the ethics of artificial intelligence.
They are currently a PhD candidate in the collaborative MAKE/SENSE Program at The University of Arts Linz and The Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW.
Through a critical examination of the narratives and language employed in face recognition technology, particularly Amazon Rekognition, I have discovered that even artificial intelligence products trained on binary gender databases struggle to define gender in a strictly binary manner. By presenting diverse photographs of individuals alongside Amazon Rekognition's gender classification results, I aim to underscore the performative nature of gender, even within the realm of cyberspace.
Consequently, I have curated a database comprising various results generated by Amazon Rekognition, spanning classifications from 50% to 99% male and female. Leveraging machine learning Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), I have crafted a novel model capable of generating randomized portraits. This endeavor serves as a digital exploration of the performative aspects of gender, echoing and challenging the limitations imposed by technology on our understanding of identity within the digital sphere