You look like me, but you don’t feel like me

An interactive 90‑minute workshop with short research talks and discussions, facilitated group activities, and live visual capture.

This workshop draws on researchers’ expertise on the use of AI‑generated images and their unexpected impact on audiences’ sense of well‑being and inclusion. We will use these findings as a springboard to open a wider conversation about the future of AI for authentic representation and inclusion in our working lives.

In this workshop, participants will (1) discover how AI is being used to create “inclusive” advertising and why consumers often feel alienated or disempowered when inclusion lacks lived experience; (2) engage in discussions about what “authenticity” and “representation” actually mean in the future of work, particularly in creative industries (3) co-create ‘authentic Inclusion’ by responding to prompts about how AI could enhance (or hinder) workplace opportunities for marginalised workers, especially in the case of disabilities. The research highlights how AI is changing representation, and subsequent opportunities, in workplaces. Particularly in the advertising space, the use of AI may lead to the displacement of real marginalised talent, which calls for further debate around its sustainable role within our working lives. This further resonates with current debates surrounding (1) future employment opportunities in creative and tech‑driven sectors, (2) the ethics of using AI in hiring, branding and representation, and (3) how young people can advocate for authentic inclusion in the workplace. We hope that our research provides value to the ongoing debates around the impact of AI on our working lives and contributes well to the theme of the festival.

Dr Zoe Lee, Reader in Marketing, Cardiff University 

Adults and young people 

Professionals and those interested in technology and AI