Sofia Crespo Critically Extant, 2022 Open-Source Data, Generative AI Times Square Midnight Moment, May 2022 Role: Curator & Producer, Meta Open Arts “Critically Extant” explores the limits of our knowledge about the natural world. The artist trained an AI algorithm using millions of open-source nature images on ten thousand species, and then asked the algorithm to generate visual representations of critically endangered species that we have little to no visual documentation of. The project was initially launched on Instagram as a strategic exhibition space to inject visual representations of endangered species into our digital and media landscapes, and create positive feedback loops. Given the limitation of scientific data, the generated specimens often bear little resemblance to the actual species, underscoring the challenge of achieving equitable digital representation. However, this project highlights the potential for collective action, both digitally and physically, to bring these species into our daily consciousness and find ways to care for them. This project was created as part of the artist in residency program co-organized by Meta's Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) and Open Arts programs.