Into the Deep: AI, Monsters, and Mapping the Unknown

This paper explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, cartography, and mythology through the lens of digital representation. Using DeepSeek’s oceanic branding and the art project Imaginary Blues as entry points, it examines how historical strategies for mapping the unknown—such as sea monsters on medieval maps—have evolved into algorithmic practices that fabricate synthetic certainties. By reimagining mythical creatures through data collages built from Google Earth’s ocean textures, the artwork critiques the illusion of completeness in digital platforms. Drawing on media theory and cartographic history, the paper argues that contemporary AI systems, like historical empires, curate knowledge to reinforce power hierarchies, shaping what is visible and knowable in the digital age.