Computer vision in tactical artificial intelligence art

Artificial intelligence (AI) art comprises a spectrum of creative endeavors that emerge from and respond to the development of AI, the expansion of AI-powered economies, and their influence on culture and society. Within this repertoire, the relationship between the cognitive value of human vision and the wide application range of computer vision (CV) technologies opens a sizeable space for exploring the problematic sociopolitical aspects of automated inference and decision-making in modern AI. This paper examines art practices critically engaged with the notions and protocols of CV. After identifying and contextualizing CV-related tactical AI art, we discuss the features of exemplar artworks in four interrelated subject areas. Their topical overlaps, common critical points, and shared pitfalls plot a wider landscape of tactical AI art, allowing us to detect factors that affect its poetic cogency, social responsibility, and political impact, some of which are rooted in the theoretical premises of digital art activism. Along these lines, the paper outlines the routes for addressing the challenges and advancing the field.