META SAPIENS: Artist, Ivonne Thein, is pioneering AI Discourse

Beauty, once a well-defined concept, now eludes definition as we continually reshape ourselves, morphing into semblances of robots. What was once associated with ‘fake’ bodies in the context of plastic surgery has evolved into a broader discourse, one involving images that are entirely constructed and designed.

I stumbled on a mixed media masterpiece, “Meta Bodies” by Ivonne Thein on a trip to Berlin with a friend. With the ongoing discourse surrounding AI, artists like Ivonne Thein are embracing the conversation, leveraging it to explore the potential implications for our perception of the human body.

A Reaction to Social Pressures, creating a new altered being

Thein’s work serves as reactionary to societal pressures that have blurred the boundaries of reality.

We came to discover an impressive-looking building was hosting ‘The Soft and The Hard’ exhibition curated by Mascha Naumova during Berlin Art Week. With only an eleven-day run, commencing on the 13^th of September, we felt it must’ve been fate. As we traversed numerous rooms adorned with art from various featured artists, the soft, pink ambient glow emanating from Thein’s exhibit beckoned us. Despite the daunting vision of AI’s potential reality, the room housing “Meta Bodies” exuded an oddly comforting dystopian atmosphere.

Stepping into this immersive space, illuminated by intermittent strobes, the features a video art installation. The video installation portrays a distorted human figure generated using AI, accompanied by a wearable, skin-like silicone suit adorned with an attached mask.

Thein’s work– especially her use of AI-generated video– presents an image that is familiar, we’re able to spot an eye or ear. And by doing this, Thein creates a whole new altered being.

Thein no longer understands the body as a whole, but fragments and manipulates it.

Each element in this compelling composition beautifully reflected the profound impact of AI on the human body. A key theme of Thein’s work is to ‘change our contemporary idea of the body in a digital age’– as she expressed in an interview with curator Lina Stallmann. The exhibition bridges the digital element of AI and its stark influence on the body.

Thein’s exhibition felt different from other AI-generated artwork. The skin suit featured wires protruding from a replica of the human body, hinting that perhaps AI isn’t trying to be like us, we are already like AI. AI was as used as an outlet to warn of its abilities.

The exhibition speaks of a mechanical life many of us already conform to– that, in many respects, makes us no different from a robot. The take-home message of Ivonne Thein’s exhibition is simple: if AI can emulate us, we can do the same and emulate AI. 

As humans, we tend to focus on certain aspects of our bodies, and most of the time this is in a negative light. Thein’s Meta Bodies does the same thing by creating art with a familiar visual which in hand couldn’t be further from the reality we know. As the show notes explained, she ‘no longer understands the body as a whole, but rather fragments or manipulates it’.

Trends in AI Fashion

Artificial intelligence has rapidly become an indispensable part of the modern world, becoming a prominent fixture in the art and fashion industry. A new concern about AI has emerged in Fashion: it is no longer just imitating us, but also replacing our very bodies. As we trim expenses, we inadvertently fashion a new iteration of beauty that hinges on the unattainable. If beauty does become an unattainable fantasy, humanity might finally separate itself from its hyper-fixation with ideals of physical perfection. 

What does it mean for us to have AI not only emulating our brain power, and many times acceding it, but to have it replicating our physical self? Author of Homo Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari writes that human beings ’30,000 years ago had the same physical, emotional and intellectual abilities we have’. Yet, as Harari argues, the “stubborn” nature of humanity makes us naturally apprehensive about the growing threat of artificial intelligence.

Prior to the advent of AI, mental evolution was somewhat stagnant, lifestyle was an affirmation of our dominance. In an ironic twist, this has led to AI becoming a natural by-product of our society. Filters alter self-esteem in at least 30% of people, according to a recent survey. But this only scratches the surface as AI reconstructs our reality. AI-generated images may resemble human beings, but they are mere interpretations derived from pre-existing data, tainted by those who fit the conventional beauty standard.

AI’s rapid ascent is a threat to our mental capabilities, so its natural progression is to be our competition. The prospect of becoming inferior to machines compels us to adapt to the ever-evolving AI, a force that could potentially outshine our once-undefeated human intellect. Despite our collective intelligence as human beings, we tend to backtrack and rethink after things get out of hand.

AI Fashion Week

AI’s inaugural fashion week, known as Artificial Intelligence Fashion Week, took place in April of this year at Soho’s Spring Studios, albeit lasting for only two days. AI Fashion Week (AIFW) commences in the digital realm, but it crucially culminates in a tangible result, one closely tied to reality. This union of clothing with the body, both of which are shaped and generated by AI, is at the core of the complex issues that are now surfacing. During this event, a competition was held that challenged designers to create 15-30 looks entirely generated using artificial intelligence. As Madeline Schulz highlights in Vogue Business, “A key requirement is that the garments must be feasible for physical production.” The winners of this competition had the opportunity to have their AI-generated clothing produced and sold on e-commerce platforms like Revolve or Fwrd.

Big Brands accepting AI integration

Numerous other brands have adopted similar AI-driven approaches. Levi’s has announced a forthcoming collaboration with LaLaLand.ai, a company specialising in AI-generated models. This innovative partnership is set to debut later this year, featuring models entirely composed by computer software. Drawing criticism from industry watchdogs Levi’s asserted that this move is essential, adding that it was done to ensure ‘representation in size, skin tone and age’ of those featured and that ‘it’s not feasible to shoot nine models for every single product they sell’. Other brands have adopted similar AI-driven approaches without such apparent criticism.

But the question arises: why opt for representation when you can capture reality? Levi’s “representative” models conform to the algorithm’s suggestions, further disconnecting us from reality. Instead of authentic real-world experienced models, AI simply shows us what it thinks it wants us to see. Yet as Michael Musandu, founder of LaLaland.ai, explained to The Guardian, “AI-generated images don’t need glam squads, so brands can cut costs”– further consolidating AI’s appeal to big businesses.

From Thein’s work to AI Fashion Week, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence begins to challenge our traditional notions of the body and fashion, forcing us to confront the potential implications of a creation that now threatens to overshadow its creators.