Data Sins: Speculative Design Unveiling Data Colonialism Through AI Imagery

The Data Sins project aims to provoke reflection on the concept of data colonialism by exploring its key underpinnings as an emerging phenomenon in the early 21st century. Through the discipline of speculative design, the project seeks to emphasize how many of the rationales surrounding the ideals of connectivity and progress within the realm of big data, in fact, conceal a new form of neocolonial appropriation. The storytelling is based on conjectures that reveal contemporary aspects of the interconnected relationships between political, economic, and religious power. In this context, the rise of conservative right-wing movements observed in Brazil over the last decade solidifies the marriage between religious moralism, authoritarianism, and economic liberalism. The materialization of the project adopted a discursive approach, with the methodology relying on the use of artificial intelligence to construct the visual universe of speculative scenario. Furthermore, it was crucial for recognizing and highlighting biases and prejudices related to gender, race, and culture within the training models of the platform.