Criticism of the current conditions on the Internet as well as the daily experience of Internet reality can lead us to sadness, depression and a feeling of pure hopelessness. It can block us from imagining alternatives, better ways of functioning of the Internet and online communities, and lead us to pure passivity or escapism. But frustration can bear fruit and motivate action when it is combined with a positive vision of the future of the Internet. For those of you who have not given up yet, or who want to find hope and desire for change, here are some tips for reading.

Tally Saves the Internet - Owen Mundy ()

“Tally Saves the Internet is a browser extension that transforms data advertisers collect into a multiplayer game. Once installed, a friendly pink blob named Tally lives in the corner of your screen and warns you when companies translate your human experiences into free behavioral data. When Tally encounters “product monsters” (online trackers and their corresponding product marketing categories) you can capture them in a turn-based battle (e.g. “Pokémon style”) transforming the game into a progressive tracker blocker, where you earn the right to be let alone through this playful experience.” - author.

Wearing Gillian - Gillian Wearing

Wearing Gillian by Gillian Wearing is a 2018 short film where the artist uses deepfake technology to superimpose her face onto actors portraying her. The work explores themes of identity, reality, and self-perception, as Wearing reflects on the discomfort of seeing herself “being me.”

curator talking

Snowww Crshahs - Constant Dullaart

Constant Dullaart’s “Snowww Crshahs” presents AI-generated interpretations of Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel Snow Crash. Utilizing publicly available open-source AI tools, Dullaart captures a fleeting moment in technological evolution—when AI’s imperfections produce dreamlike and mystifying images. This work commemorates a technological window in time, showcasing the ephemeral glitches that are gradually being refined out of AI systems.

From the catalogue for the solo show “Sunsetting Inconsistencies” at Upstream Gallery.

ImageNet Roulette - Trevor Paglen

Trevor Paglen’s “ImageNet Roulette” is an interactive art project that exposes the biases and stereotypes embedded within artificial intelligence systems. By allowing users to upload their photos, the AI—trained on the widely used ImageNet dataset—labels the images, often revealing unsettling and prejudiced classifications. The work highlights how AI algorithms can perpetuate harmful societal biases present in their training data.