In this final, special episode of Designing Cities for All, we will explore the disproportionate impact of AI systems on marginalised groups, with a focus on LGBTQIA+ individuals. Even though the implementation of algorithmic models is heavily increasing, the inclusivity of these structures does not improve evenly. In fact, they worsen discrimination, going as far as building models to detect one’s sexual orientation from their facial features. This reinforces the urgency about the trajectory of these technologies as they are becoming the tools to govern societies. As gender and sexual identity are also crucial parts of one’s identity, we will explore if data structures could ever reach a complexity to accurately ‘decode’ this multiplicity.
About the programme
Biometric data (physical, physiological, or behavioral characteristics) we represent is collected by surveillance systems, leaving no part of our bodies unanalysed. This information is automatically labeled into rigid classifications with no room for ‘error’ or divergence. During this translation, from data to meaning, queer individuals are automatically excluded. Many incidents show how misidentification has detrimental effects on LGBTQIA+ communities in everyday life. Speakers of this programme will uncover intersections between AI, body and identity to discuss the extent identification systems can be developed, or fail to do so.
