Anna Ridler

Anna Ridler is a British artist and researcher working at the intersection of art, technology, and artificial intelligence. She is particularly known for her pioneering work with machine learning and datasets, creating artworks that critically examine how AI systems are trained and the biases embedded within technological processes. Her practice involves meticulous hand-labeling of datasets, often comprising thousands of images, which she then uses to train neural networks to generate new imagery. This labor-intensive approach highlights the hidden human labor behind supposedly automated systems and raises questions about classification, categorization, and control. Ridler's notable works include "Mosaic Virus" (2018-2019), a series exploring the historical parallel between tulip mania and cryptocurrency speculation by training a generative adversarial network (GAN) on thousands of photographs of tulips she personally catalogued. The resulting AI-generated tulip videos fluctuate in real-time based on Bitcoin market prices. Another significant project, "Myriad (Tulips)" (2018), consists of 10,000 individually photographed and hand-labeled tulips, presented as a grid that serves as both artwork and dataset. Her "Fall of the House of Usher" (2020) uses AI to reimagine Edgar Allan Poe's gothic tale, training algorithms on botanical imagery to create an eerie animated narrative. Her work has been exhibited internationally at institutions including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Barbican Centre, the ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, and Ars Electronica. Ridler has received numerous awards including a NAMA Big AI grant and has been featured at major art and technology festivals worldwide. She holds a Master's degree from the Royal College of Art and has studied at institutions including Oxford University. Beyond her artistic practice, she is also an educator and researcher, contributing significantly to critical discourse around AI ethics, algorithmic bias, and the material realities of machine learning systems in contemporary culture.