ITALIAN HARRY POTTER
COSTANZA ACQUAVIVA, ROME, ITALY
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are biased. This can be problematic, especially in the case of generative AIs, that by analyzing patterns and data, based on human made works, is able to generate something, such as images and texts. However, as humans are biased, and they transmit it in their work, it becomes problematic as AIs will fuel on them and therefore enhance stereotypes.An example of AI generated work is “Italian Harry Potter '', created through the AI program Midjourney (click here on the link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtCfvNag-_T/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRl ODBiNWFlZA==). The AI was asked to create Harry Potter if it was set in Italy. We can see in the video, AI generated people, similar to the characters of the books/movies, with more italian traditional physical traits, dressed how fancy movie mafia bosses would dress, on a background representing a traditional small sicilian town.They say sentences as “Sei un mafioso Harry” (translated as you are a Mafia man Harry, instead of “You are a wizard Harry”),
or “Avada Vendetta” (translated as Avada Vengeance, instead of “Avada Kedavra”). Everything with a background music that is reminiscent of a mix of Ennio Morricone and The Godfather soundtrack. As an Italian, it really scares me to see how AI pictures Italy. This association between my country and a criminal organization, and especially Sicily, which is where my family is from, really bothers me. But what I find even more shocking is the comment section. Of course from a technological point of view the results are amazing, but from a moral and cultural point of view they aren’t. It is worrying, especially to see people praising it, wanting to see the full feature film. AIs, if not regulated or used correctly, could lead us to live even more in our little bubbles, trying to simplify the complexity of the world only to see what we want to see. And instead of going towards a process of cultural globalization, that could make people more tolerant and open, by telling local stories that are also universal, it could lead towards an homogenization of contents to achieve a global taste.
