Critical Foundations of Visual Systems
Critical Foundations of Visual Systems by Professor Noa Garcia* introduces a research agenda to invert the default assumptions of computer vision: rather than optimizing accuracy first and addressing potential harm later, we start from the premise that computer vision systems should not cause harm, and pursue fundamental technical research within that constraint.
We will present three datasets for computer vision for art – semantic understanding, question answering, and instance recognition – all fundamental computer vision applications applied to the domain of art and culture. After that, we will discuss the weaponization of computer vision, uncovering the invisible ties between the field and its downstream military and surveillance applications, and arguing that changing these outcomes requires changing the defaults of the field itself.
*Noa Garcia is associate professor at the Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies and D3 Center, The University of Osaka, Japan.
When / Wann: June 12, 2026, 12:15 - 13:30
Where / Wo: Digital Society Initiative, Rämistrasse 69, 8001 Zurich
Language / Sprache: English
Registration / Anmeldung: Link
Organisation: DSI Community AI, Culture & Society / Digital Visual Studies Center