How to See Like a Machine: Art in the Age of AI

Synopsis

The age of artificial intelligence has transformed not only how images are made, but what images are for. Increasingly, pictures are no longer created for human eyes alone. They are generated, analyzed, and circulated by machines that watch, predict, classify, and influence our behaviour. In How to See Like a Machine, acclaimed artist Trevor Paglen explores this profound shift, revealing how computer vision, generative AI, surveillance systems, advertising algorithms, and digital media are reshaping the way we understand reality.

Drawing on art, philosophy, technology, military history, and politics, Paglen argues that today's images are active participants in systems of power rather than passive representations of the world. Moving through subjects as varied as UFO imagery, psychological operations, recommendation algorithms, and machine learning, he offers a compelling framework for understanding how artificial intelligence is transforming perception itself. Clear, provocative, and deeply original, this is an essential book for anyone seeking to understand the cultural and political consequences of the AI age.

About the Author

Trevor Paglen is an American artist, filmmaker, geographer, and writer whose work investigates surveillance, artificial intelligence, military technology, and the hidden infrastructures of power. A MacArthur Fellow and recipient of the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Pioneer Award, his work has been exhibited at institutions including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tate Modern, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He is widely regarded as one of the leading artists exploring the intersection of technology, politics, and visual culture.

Publisher

Verso

Publication Date

May 19, 2026

Format

Hardcover

Pages

192

Subjects

Artificial Intelligence · Technology · Media Studies · Surveillance · Art & Politics · Cultural Criticism

ISBN

9781836742166