As much as we may try, computer vision has yet to be able to emulate the human vision; what a computer “sees” are “critically dependent on certain unique assumptions about the real-world video scene it is expected to analyze” (Levin). And as we work towards optimizing computer vision — especially in terms of enhancing facial recognition and such — I do believe that regulations do need to be put in place so that these technologies are not appropriated by the wrong hands, with issues such as surveillance and the potential invasion of privacy being so widely debated. The Suicide Box referenced in the text feels especially macabre and ethically questionable, since the project relies on tracking the movement of unsuspecting, suicidal people who are at their most vulnerable moment. Conversations about the ethics of computer vision being implemented in such manners are difficult but necessary in this rapidly evolving technological landscape.
In terms of interactive media arts, however, I do believe that computer vision and tracking can greatly enhance immersive experiences. Once again speaking in terms of video games (because I really do love games), the eye-tracking mechanism of Skybound Games’s Before Your Eyes is an example of great computer vision implementation that came to my mind. The game is centered around the story of a boy who revisits memories of his life while preparing for the afterlife (this is a very rough synopsis, as to not spoil the game). The gameplay tracks the player’s eyes, and players blink to interact with in-game elements and advance the plot. The game’s lengthy but crucial cutscenes prove to be challenging for players to watch without blinking and accidentally skipping to the next scene. While this may seem like an unwise choice of gameplay on the developer’s part, I eventually realized how creative it was for a game dealing with themes of grief to utilize eye-tracking to capture the bittersweet feelings of wanting to hold on to fleeting moments in life but feeling yourself unintentionally letting them slip away. Before Your Eyes is proof that computer vision, when implemented creatively, also has the potential to enhance the emotional value of a project.