A leading voice in AI and emerging media, Stephanie Dinkins is known for creating critical artworks that illuminate the intersections of artificial intelligence with race, gender, cultural memory, and history. In this project, she invites the public to engage with a performative and functional artificial intelligence laboratory If We Don’t, Who Will? which will be installed at The Plaza at 300 Ashland in the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District from June 25-September 28, 2025.

Blending sculptural, technical, and performative approaches, If We Don’t, Who Will? is the opening chapter of an evolving series of planned works by Dinkins entitled The Stories We Tell Our Machines. The project challenges the conventions of AI by centering the culture, craft, and well-being of historically underrepresented communities within the global majority. Guided by the artist’s belief that a more equitable and just AI is possible, If We Don’t, Who Will? encourages us to build care-filled relationships with machine intelligences, demonstrating that care is at the core of our humanity.

Dinkins aims to demystify AI’s “black box,” revealing how the data we feed into these systems shapes their perceptions — and, in turn, how they impact our society. As Dinkins explains:

“Our attention, understanding, advocacy, and participation in nurturing AI are crucial to creating a world that supports all of us—not just a select few. AI runs the risk of perpetuating harmful biases and stereotypes embedded in our society. However, when our stories are self-determined, nuanced, and culturally specific, they can foster AI systems that reflect and uplift the experiences of everyday people.”

Designed in collaboration with renowned architects LOT-EK, the laboratory is housed in an upcycled shipping container—reimagined as an interactive site for storytelling and exploration. Neighbors, community members, and passersby will be invited to contribute to a growing dataset of stories that reflect the vast diversity of human experience. The Stories We Tell Our Machines will evolve over the coming year across a variety of venues and take a multitude of forms including DNA printing, community events, and an interactive app.

The project fosters cultural exchange between AI lab technicians, the public, and bespoke AI algorithms, which work together to generate visual responses to contributed stories. In doing so, it maps out new possibilities for co-creation and care between humans and machines.

Named one of the 100 Most Influential People in AI 2023 by Time Magazine, Dinkins’ work continues to advocate and push for a future where people from all walks of life can actively shape AI systems that are trustworthy, collaborative, and truly representative of our shared humanity.

Public events are planned with partners in the newly opened L10 Arts and Cultural Center to take place over the summer and into the fall.