What if your face determined the outcome of justice?Perception iO (2019) is an emotionally-responsive immersive simulator that places the participant at the center of a branching narrative — not as the suspect, but as the cop.
It depends on what the system sees in you.
Faced with a split-second decision, the participant must respond to an unfolding police encounter. The individual they confront may be experiencing a mental health crisis, may be Black or white, criminal or civilian — but the outcome doesn’t depend solely on what’s happening.
⸺ The Trailer
⸺ The Prototype
Awards & Recognition
- Ars Electronica – Featured Honorary Mention
- Science Gallery Dublin
Themes
- Policing and implicit bias
- AI, race, and emotional surveillance
- Decision-making under pressure
- Behavioral psychology meets immersive design
Using AI-driven facial tracking and emotional recognition, the film reads your expressions in real time — adjusting the narrative based on your perceived emotional state. Calm? Aggressive? Fearful? The system interprets, judges, and branches the outcome accordingly.
Commissioned by:
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Developed with:
- NYU SPAM Lab – Social Perception Action + Motivation (Dr. Emily Balcetis)
- ThoughtWorks Arts – Creative technologists and critical AI researchers
⸺ Gallery
