AI searches for public cameras to find Instagram photos as they are taken

Dries Depoorter has created an artificial intelligence (AI) software that searches public camera feeds against Instagram posts to find the moment a photo was taken.

The Belgian artist has posted a video of his remarkable project, which he calls The follower which he started by recording open cameras that are public and broadcast live on websites like EarthCam.

He then scraped all Instagram photos tagged with the location of the open cameras and then used AI software to cross-reference the Instagram photos with the recorded footage. He trained the software to scan through the footage and match the Instagram photos he had scraped, and it worked amazingly well.

The resulting video offers a slightly creepy behind-the-scenes look at Instagram influencers in nature as they pose for the perfect social media photo.

Depoorter, who is also a public speaker, focuses on the Temple Bar in Dublin, New York’s Times Square and the large sign at the entrance to the Wrigley Field stadium in Chicago. The Belgian artist says the software focused on Instagram influencers who have over 100,000 followers.

“The idea popped into my head when I saw an open camera and someone was taking pictures for 30 minutes,” says Depoorter Deputy.

Most people have met an influencer in nature, striving for an image of themselves to post on social media. And Depoorter’s project shows how many poses an influencer is willing to try for the perfect frame.

Highlight the dangers of new technology

Depoorter’s work deals with themes such as privacy, artificial intelligence, surveillance and social media.

“If you check out all my work, you can see that I show the dangers of new technology,” says Depoorter Deputy.

“I hope to reach a lot of people by making it really simple. I really don’t like difficult art. I like to keep it really simple. I think I am part of a new generation of artists who work with technology.”

Depoorter’s previous project, The Flemish Scrollers, involved flagging every time a Belgian politician uses their phone during a government meeting. That project also used artificial intelligence and facial recognition, and when a politician was caught using their phone, it was posted on Twitter with the distracted politician tagged.

He also created an experimental camera that could only capture images it deemed prize-winning.

More of Depooter’s work can be found on his website, Instagram, Twitterand Facebook.