Human aesthetics under the representational power of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract: This thesis investigates how Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based technologies mediate human representation in contemporary visual culture. The work is grounded on Don Ihde’s philo- sophical framework that analyzes distinct modalities (embodiment, hermeneutic, and alter- ity) according to which humans relate to technologies. Through a combination of technical contributions, along with critical reflections on the socio-ethical and artistic dimensions of these systems, the thesis offers an interdisciplinary exploration of AI’s role in visual culture. First, we examine augmented reality (AR) beauty filters as a form of embodiment relation, where the technology becomes “transparent” and modifies how individuals perceive and present their own faces. By introducing novel datasets (FairBeauty and B-LFW) and the OpenFilter tool, we demonstrate how these filters propagate Eurocentric beauty standards, subtly reshaping identity in ways that reinforce historical and racialized aesthetics. Then, we address the algorithmic censorship of artistic nudity as a hermeneutic relation, focusing on how moderation systems interpret and assess the “obscenity” of the human body. Through a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative and quantitative contribu- tions, the chapter reveals the limitations of current moderation technologies and advocates for greater transparency, cultural sensitivity, and accountability in content moderation gov- ernance. Finally, we explore text-to-image (T2I) generative systems through the lens of alterity relation, highlighting how users interact with technologies that produce outputs perceived as novel and autonomous. By auditing leading T2I platforms and introducing ImageSet2Text, a new method for summarizing image sets via vision-language models, we uncover stylistic patterns and cultural biases embedded in AI-generated depictions of humans.

Short bio: Piera Riccio is an ELLIS PhD student. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Cinema and Media Engineering (2018, Politecnico di Torino), a Master’s degree in ICT for Smart Societies (2021, Politecnico di Torino), and a Master’s degree in Data Science and Engineering (2021, Télécom Paris – EURECOM). In 2020, she was an affiliate at Metalab (at) Harvard. In 2021, she was a research assistant at the Oslo Metropolitan University. In her research, she is interested in exploring the cultural, social, and artistic possibilities of AI. In her PhD, she focuses on the effect that social media have on the lives of women and the way they are perceived in the social media cultural ecosystem. Her supervisors are Nuria Oliver (ELLIS Alicante), Thomas Hofmann (ETH Zurich) and Francisco Escolano (Universidad de Alicante).

Presenter: Piera Riccio

Date: 2025-09-22 11:00 (CEST)

Location: Sala Rafael Altamira - Planta 0. Sede Universitaria Ciudad de Alicante, Av. de Ramón y Cajal, 4, Alicante 03001, Alicante ES

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