Reading Response

What questions do you still have about the model and the associated data? Are there elements you would propose including in the biography?

I still wonder who exactly labeled the data and how they were guided. Were they people from similar or completely different backgrounds? Did they all follow the same rules? I’d also like to know whether there was good agreement among them, or if some categories were confusing or debated. If so, how did they structure the agreement, and by what consideration? Another open question is about preprocessing: what steps, like normalization or augmentation, were done to the data, and could these steps have removed important differences or accidentally made some patterns too strong?

I think it would be useful to add details about who is maintaining the model, how people can contribute updates or fixes, and when it was last reviewed. It would also help to include any known open issues, especially around bias or ethics, so users can make informed choices. Finally, I would propose adding clear boundaries for use — for example, stating that the model should not be used for surveillance — and simple guidance about consent signage in settings where people’s data, images, or voices might be captured.

How does understanding the provenance of the model and its data inform your creative process?

I think knowing where the model and its data come from helps me see both the strengths and the risks of using it in my work (and makes me more cautious when I use technology that is provided from outside resources, just in general). If I learn that the dataset may not include certain groups or that consent is uncertain, I adjust my creative process to avoid harmful uses. For example, I stay away from identity-focused tasks like face recognition and instead use less sensitive outputs such as body keypoints. I also take care to inform my audience — adding clear consent signage and even offering opt-out zones during interactive projects — so people know how their data might be used. This way, understanding provenance not only shapes the technical choices I make but also guides the ethical care I bring to participants and viewers.

P5 Sketch

y position of the right hand changes the size of individual pixel

x position of the left hand changes the color of the pixel (also adds some randomness)