Merging AI with Drag Performance

AI Tool(s) Used

• Deepfake Technology: AI was used to create a deepfake drag persona called Zizi, blending machine learning with facial and body manipulation software to generate a digital drag performance.
• Machine Learning Algorithms: These algorithms were trained to recognize and emulate the exaggerated expressions, gestures, and aesthetics typical in drag culture, creating a digital drag identity.
• AI for Social Bias Analysis: The project explores how AI, while typically neutral, reflects the biases embedded in the data it is trained on, particularly regarding gender and societal norms.

Description of Result

The Zizi Show is an exploration of drag performance through the lens of AI, represented by Zizi, a deepfake drag character. The show challenges gender norms and societal biases by merging the artistry of drag with the machine learning processes of AI. Zizi serves as an experimental platform for understanding the intersection of performance art, AI, and how technology can replicate and even critique human concepts like gender fluidity and bias. It’s a thought-provoking combination of digital art, social commentary, and gender exploration.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Conceptualization: The creators envisioned a project that would combine the gender fluidity and expressive freedom of drag with AI’s ability to learn and replicate human behaviors.
2. Data Collection: Machine learning algorithms were likely trained on a vast dataset of drag performances, gestures, and aesthetics, allowing AI to generate a believable deepfake drag persona, Zizi.
3. AI Deepfake Creation: Deepfake technology was used to create the character of Zizi. This involved synthesizing realistic facial expressions and body movements that matched the exaggerated styles typically seen in drag.
4. Integration of AI and Drag: Zizi performs in a manner that critiques both AI’s potential to mimic human behavior and the societal constructs around gender. The show presents a reflection on how AI interprets human identity.
5. Social Commentary: The project critically engages with the question of AI bias, especially regarding gender norms. It asks the audience to reflect on what AI can teach about drag, and how drag, in turn, can expose the limitations and biases in AI systems.

Tips & Tricks

• Experiment with Identity in AI: Using AI to explore identity can create thought-provoking commentary on how technology interprets and reinforces social constructs. Drag, with its fluidity and performative nature, serves as an ideal medium for this type of exploration.
• Deepfake Technology for Artistic Exploration: Deepfakes are often seen in negative contexts, but using them for art can open new pathways for creating digital personas or critiquing societal issues.
• Merge Artistic and Technical Domains: Projects like Zizi Show are successful because they merge art (drag performance) with technology (AI), allowing for multi-layered interpretations and discussions.

Annotation

The Zizi Show pushes the boundaries of both AI and performance art, merging two seemingly distinct worlds—drag and artificial intelligence—to create a digital persona that critiques societal constructs. By using AI deepfake technology, the creators explore not only the performative nature of drag but also how AI can reflect, challenge, or reinforce societal biases, especially those regarding gender and identity. Zizi’s exaggerated movements and appearance are not just entertaining; they provoke a deeper conversation about the role of AI in interpreting human expressions and the biases present in machine learning. This fusion of technology and drag performance brings attention to the powerful ways in which AI can be used in art, social commentary, and identity exploration.

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