there are no children here (2024)

“For thousands of years men dreamed of pacts with demons. Only now are such things possible. And what would you be paid with? What would your price be, for aiding this thing to free itself and grow?”

― William Gibson, Neuromancer

Street photography of any kind poses ethical questions, particularly when its subject is children. In this body of work, I removed all children in the images using artificial intelligence.

But use of AI raises its own questions: authorship, consent, labor, origin. Where did the AI's training data come from? How was it collected? Is it acceptable to use AI in any original art, under any circumstances? And what will its effects be on future generations?

There are no children here, then, has a triple meaning: the literal removal of children from the image; the impact that emerging technologies may have on future generations; and the knowledge that, in the boardrooms of companies building and refining AI, there are no children—only incautious adults.

AI usage disclosure.

While the underlying photographs are genuine, artificial intelligence has been used to remove and fill sections of each image. Changes are made for artistic effect, and images should not be considered as accurate depictions of reality. For more information on the extent and nature of AI usage, please contact the artist.

details.

Gelatin silver prints
13 ⅓ x 20 in. (34.29 x 50.8 cm)
Not for sale