Counterproductive is a short film about the consequences of algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence. We increasingly depend on AI in our daily lives. As we share our world with these technologies, we need to understand how their algorithms work and to what extent they are able to affect our lives. The film investigates the algorithm as a human creation and questions its perceived neutrality. Biases in algorithms can take several forms and manifest in different ways. This project focuses on biases in training and classification data, on how this data is transferred to specific contexts, and on the consequences specifically for gender and gender identity. The research has found an increasing dependency on algorithms that sort and classify people. This classification is assumed to be objective.

The resulting film is a metaphorical extrapolation of the consequences of this assumption, exploring a time when living with AI-powered devices has become normalised. Built devices serve as characters and act in real time during the film. The film was written and produced with a full crew during challenging times of the COVID-19 lockdown. The documentation and interviews with participants serve as a companion film about contemporary gender relations.