Hi, we don't exist!None of these people exist.
All images from ThisPersonDoesNotExist, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) that generators pictures of people who do not exist.
The pictures are 100% generated by the AI, and in no part are from a data bank or anything like that. The AI also can createcats (my masters level computer scientist friend, Andrew Fisher, former comp sci student, tells me cats are hard... sometimes you see the pics look a bit screwy), horses, art, random fake scenes that do not exist from the hit TV show THE OFFICE, it reads Reddit and other sources to create fake news articles (that update every 30 minutes... here is a funny one about every adult getting enrolled in mandatory organ donation). So, it begs the question... in all of this, what does it mean to have a digital identity? Do we all automatically have one? If we don't have one, should we "get" one? How do we get one? Why? Take Control of Your Digital Self Least Someone Else Does
Yes, if you don't curate your digital identity, you run a few risks:
1) someone else controlling it for you. 2) not having one. I think it's a risk not having one because well, I feel like that's starting to get a bit weird, at least in this part of the world. At the very least, you should curate a professional identity online, especially if you are looking for work in the future. If you're on the run from the law... well, I guess that's a bad thing to have one, isn't it? Multiple (Fragmented) Digital Identity Disorder
ell, I made that up. It does't exist... except that more and more people are utilizing multiple different personas online. It's not even a bad thing... I can understand having a Twitter account for my educational endeavors, and maybe I fancy myself funny, so I have a different Twitter account where I tweet my funny, random thoughts that aren't related to Education. I may not want those two Twitter accounts mixing for all sorts of professional and nonprofessional reasons.
But nowadays, as we become more and more involved in all sorts of smaller, niche things online, people get to know us as complete human beings less and less. As per this article, we are fragmenting more and more. Nowadays, I think it's becoming less and less possible to separate your digital self from your physical self. I think we have to do a lot more to teach students about their digital identity, and how to properly develop it, safely and professionally. I think digital etiquette is something that needs to be taught, as all other etiquette requires as well. For example, don't post pictures of people online without their consent. Here is an article about Digital Etiquette. What Are Some Guidelines for Classroom Teachers Around Digital Identity?​Well, in my video above, I conveniently cover the 4 aspects that I think are most important from my own readings and synthesis of the topic. Quite simply, your digital identity encompasses how you use social media, but also however you present yourself in a non physical format. This can be online via health records, court records, social media posts, blog posts, etc.... If it's electronic, it might one day end up as part of your "digital identity". Make it a good one! In the classroom, I think this very interesting case study is a great example of how we should be leveraging and teaching Digital Identity in schools. The power of social media is awesome, and but also very scary. Use wisely. That being said.... Stay curious my friends, Yours in curiosity, Matteo
6 Comments
adam.williams
3/2/2020 06:23:15 am
Great post, loved the video! I find it's hard the hardest aspect to having a digital identity is connecting with others, as your not quite sure who is on the other side of the screen!
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Matteo Di Muro
3/2/2020 09:39:18 pm
isn't that true? I guess we all sort of put our "best selves" out there (or at least I hope that's what we are trying to do)... and we hope that connects with others on a meaningful level.
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Michala Hegi
3/2/2020 03:30:05 pm
I showed the pictures to my students of the people who don't exist and asked them to brainstorm what each person might do for a profession, their family life and where they were raised.. Then we discussed that in fact they weren't real. Honestly, half of the class was shocked and thought I was lying! Ah the digital world and naive yet confused minds of our youth! Thanks for the post!
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Matteo Di Muro
3/2/2020 09:40:18 pm
Hey Michala, that's a great exercise! I would have never thought of that! I really, realy like that exercise. I might steal it. I am glad you found something useful to do with that bloody AI... haha, I really enjoyed your post. I wonder, what did your kids come up with?
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Brad Raes
3/2/2020 03:31:05 pm
The AI pictures are creeping me out. I don't know why that bothers me, but it does. I agree that digital/physical self are becoming harder to separate and I can't see that trend changing anytime soon. It is interesting to think in a proactive way about digital identity and being the one in charge rather than being a doomsday conspiracy theorist.
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Matteo Di Muro
3/2/2020 09:43:27 pm
Brad, it is very unsettling to me as well. I think I spent about 30 minutes total now, just refreshing the page... and being sort of like "well, this is so real... but isn't?". Then I started wondering, surely, in a world of, what, 9 billion people, there HAS to be someone out there who looks like this... but my former student tells me each picture is unique, the AI was fed a database of I don't know how many people, and now it just creates it's own unique pictures. He said it's actually easier to get the AI to "make" new people versus the cats. He said the cats are hard, because of the fur, and how random it is... the AI has trouble drawing it. heh.
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AuthorMy name is Matteo Di Muro, the original Prairie Boy, and I've been teaching since I was 14. I currently teach mathematics and computer science in Brandon. I try to keep on learning things, and I'm getting onboard with sharing with others, hence this site! Archives
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