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Unveiling Invisible Sight: Exploring AI Perception and Privacy in IoT Devices through Interactive Art

Devices such as smart cameras, voice assistants, and intelligent sensors collect and process private data, which can expose users to cyber threats. Researchers will create an interactive art installation to illustrate  how AI-assisted Internet of Things (IoT) devices “see” humans. The project will also  explore countermeasures. 

Project funded by CCI Hub

Project Investigators

Principal Investigator (PI): Rui Ning, assistant professor, Old Dominion University (ODU) Department of Computer Science

Ph.D. Student: Liuwan Zhu, ODU Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Rationale and Background

The rapid expansion of AI-assisted IoT devices is transforming the way we live, work, and interact with our environment, while improving energy-management grids and enhanced communication. 

However, as these devices continuously collect, analyze, and store vast amounts of data, users may unknowingly expose personal information, leaving them vulnerable to identity theft, cyber attacks, and other malicious activities. 

Increased reliance on AI-assisted IoT devices raises questions about data ownership, consent, and the potential for biased decision-making or discriminatory practices. 

Methodology

This project will delve into the complex relationship between AI perception, privacy, and security in IoT devices through interactive art. Researchers will: 

  • Craft an interactive art installation that demonstrates how AI-assisted IoT devices perceive humans, raising awareness about potential privacy implications. 
  • Develop a functional prototype of glasses that can render users “invisible” to AI-assisted IoT devices, promoting discussion about privacy protection and the development of countermeasures against cyber threats.

Projected Outcomes 

  • The project will help enable and enhance technologies for secure and robust AI-assisted Cyber Physical Systems, accelerating their development and widening their adoption across applications. 
  • The developed art installation will be integrated into the design of training modules in the context of secure and privacy-preserving AI and disseminated through course projects, workshops, and boot camps. Students and practitioners will get advanced security- and privacy-preserving AI skills.