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How to See Like a Machine: Images After AI
The future of the image in the age of AI, by the celebrated artist
We once looked at pictures. Then, with the advent of computer vision and machine learning, pictures started looking back at us. Now, something even stranger is happening.
Generative AI, adtech, recommendation algorithms, engagement economies, personalized search, and machine learning are inaugurating a new relationship between humans and media. Pictures are now looking at us looking at them, eliciting feedback and evolving. We’ve entered a protean, targeted visual culture that shows us what it believes we want to see, measures our reactions, then morphs itself to optimize for the reactions and actions it wants. New forms of media prod and persuade, modulate and manipulate, shaping worldviews and actions to induce us into believing what they want us to believe, and to extract value and exert influence.
How did we get here?
We once looked at pictures. Then, with the advent of computer vision and machine learning, pictures started looking back at us. Now, something even stranger is happening.
Generative AI, adtech, recommendation algorithms, engagement economies, personalized search, and machine learning are inaugurating a new relationship between humans and media. Pictures are now looking at us looking at them, eliciting feedback and evolving. We’ve entered a protean, targeted visual culture that shows us what it believes we want to see, measures our reactions, then morphs itself to optimize for the reactions and actions it wants. New forms of media prod and persuade, modulate and manipulate, shaping worldviews and actions to induce us into believing what they want us to believe, and to extract value and exert influence.
How did we get here?
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2026
About the author
Trevor Paglen
30 books65 followersTrevor Paglen is an artist, writer, and experimental geographer whose work deliberately blurs lines between social science, contemporary art, journalism, and other disciplines to construct unfamiliar, yet meticulously researched ways to see and interpret the world around us.
Paglen's visual work has been exhibited at Transmediale Festival, Berlin; The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams; the 2008 Taipei Biennial; the Istanbul Biennial 2009, and has been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, Wired, Newsweek, Modern Painters, Aperture, and Art Forum.
Paglen has received grants and commissions from Rhizome.org, Art Matters, Artadia, and the Eyebeam Center for Art and Technology.
Paglen is the author of three books. His first book, Torture Taxi: On the Trail of the CIA’s Rendition Flights (co-authored with AC Thompson; Melville House, 2006) was the first book to systematically describe the CIA’s “extraordinary rendition” program. His second book, I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to be Destroyed by Me (Melville House, 2007) an examination of the visual culture of “black” military programs, was published in Spring 2008. His third book, Blank Spots on a Map, was published by Dutton/Penguin in early 2009. In spring 2010, Aperture will publish a book of his visual work.
Paglen holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley, an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Geography from UC Berkeley.
Paglen lives and works in Oakland, CA and New York City.
Paglen's visual work has been exhibited at Transmediale Festival, Berlin; The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams; the 2008 Taipei Biennial; the Istanbul Biennial 2009, and has been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, Wired, Newsweek, Modern Painters, Aperture, and Art Forum.
Paglen has received grants and commissions from Rhizome.org, Art Matters, Artadia, and the Eyebeam Center for Art and Technology.
Paglen is the author of three books. His first book, Torture Taxi: On the Trail of the CIA’s Rendition Flights (co-authored with AC Thompson; Melville House, 2006) was the first book to systematically describe the CIA’s “extraordinary rendition” program. His second book, I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to be Destroyed by Me (Melville House, 2007) an examination of the visual culture of “black” military programs, was published in Spring 2008. His third book, Blank Spots on a Map, was published by Dutton/Penguin in early 2009. In spring 2010, Aperture will publish a book of his visual work.
Paglen holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley, an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Geography from UC Berkeley.
Paglen lives and works in Oakland, CA and New York City.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 4, 2026
Five stars, twenty stars for the first half where it's kind of like an addendum to Sontag's On Photography, an update to add details about digital imagery, computers' "vision," and AI. It's truly delicious when it talks about image-making and interpretation and how that relates to AI.
HOWEVER. It loses me in the second half when it becomes entirely about UFOs. The entire second half of the book is about UFOs. I get why it's there (fabricated UFO imagery, "seeing is believing," government disinformation, etc. is all manipulatable through AI) but the book went way into the weeds on UFOs and MK Ultra and other supernatural beliefs providing so many details and examples that it felt like maybe this was meant to be a book on conspiracy theories this whole time, and I really really hate conspiracy theories. I don't care if it's debunking them or explaining them, I hate hearing about them so much I have no patience for them so I was hating my life by the end of this.
Your tolerance for conspiracy theories is probably higher than mine so probably ignore my complaints because there is a convincing case against AI disinfo and psyops made in this book and the first half is really amazing I was almost going to put this on my "best books of the year" list and that's not nothing!!
HOWEVER. It loses me in the second half when it becomes entirely about UFOs. The entire second half of the book is about UFOs. I get why it's there (fabricated UFO imagery, "seeing is believing," government disinformation, etc. is all manipulatable through AI) but the book went way into the weeds on UFOs and MK Ultra and other supernatural beliefs providing so many details and examples that it felt like maybe this was meant to be a book on conspiracy theories this whole time, and I really really hate conspiracy theories. I don't care if it's debunking them or explaining them, I hate hearing about them so much I have no patience for them so I was hating my life by the end of this.
Your tolerance for conspiracy theories is probably higher than mine so probably ignore my complaints because there is a convincing case against AI disinfo and psyops made in this book and the first half is really amazing I was almost going to put this on my "best books of the year" list and that's not nothing!!
May 25, 2026
Thought it was brilliant and terrifying and very fun to read! Another great trueanon plug that is remarkably eye-opening about the future of vision, tech, and influence.
The idea that there’s a future where images generated by computers off of your psycho-perceptual profile obtained by online shopping and eyeball tracking could be reverse engineered to trigger specific feelings or responses is verryyy scwary 🥺😞
The idea that there’s a future where images generated by computers off of your psycho-perceptual profile obtained by online shopping and eyeball tracking could be reverse engineered to trigger specific feelings or responses is verryyy scwary 🥺😞
March 31, 2026
Less about the technical capacities of generative AI software and focused more on the overall nature and history of reality manipulation, How to See Like a Machine provides a wide-ranging and refreshingly rational look at everyone's current favorite boogeyman-slash-panacea.
As this book collects essays and lectures written throughout the past decade for various purposes, it ranges considerably in tone, depth and focus - six satellites orbiting the monstrous, more-or-less unfathomable black hole (NOT going to say singularity here, for obvious reasons) that is genAI. Starting from the basics: what IS an image, what does it mean to view an image, what does it mean for a machine to create an image solely for another machine to view - we travel into deeper and stickier realms, touching upon the history of datasets, the difference between interpretation and classification, the intentional hallucinations of everyday life and vision, all the way to the CIA's anti-UFO-movement disinformation campaigns and chaos magick. We end, as we usually do, in the (near) future: how are we (individuals, societies, civilizations) meant to see an image if the image has been manipulated, or if that act of seeing is itself a manipulation?
In a world where simply getting the resources of knowledge to the people who need it is an uphill battle, books like this are an essential tool and will only grow more relevant as its subject consumes more and more of the world.
Thanks to Verso and NetGalley for this advance copy.
As this book collects essays and lectures written throughout the past decade for various purposes, it ranges considerably in tone, depth and focus - six satellites orbiting the monstrous, more-or-less unfathomable black hole (NOT going to say singularity here, for obvious reasons) that is genAI. Starting from the basics: what IS an image, what does it mean to view an image, what does it mean for a machine to create an image solely for another machine to view - we travel into deeper and stickier realms, touching upon the history of datasets, the difference between interpretation and classification, the intentional hallucinations of everyday life and vision, all the way to the CIA's anti-UFO-movement disinformation campaigns and chaos magick. We end, as we usually do, in the (near) future: how are we (individuals, societies, civilizations) meant to see an image if the image has been manipulated, or if that act of seeing is itself a manipulation?
In a world where simply getting the resources of knowledge to the people who need it is an uphill battle, books like this are an essential tool and will only grow more relevant as its subject consumes more and more of the world.
Thanks to Verso and NetGalley for this advance copy.
September 6, 2026
This book is terrifying and everyone needs to read it
July 11, 2026
I strongly encourage everyone to read this book
July 15, 2026
Genuinely gut wrenching stuff and I have to appreciate how it doesn’t even try to be hopeful. Our brains have literally been bought and sold and I used to think this was something that was opted into. I used to think it was only fools that ask Claude and use Grok. I used to think we could wait this out until the AI bubble collapsed and start working back towards some form of consensus reality. I’m starting to realize this has been a long term project to decouple and bifurcate reality and even if all this ended tomorrow that damage is thoroughly done. At every single moment, even me as I type this, is generating ad revenue. This is a long term project to commodify the human soul and the price goes higher with every keystroke, every flock camera capture, every video of Will Smith eating spaghetti, every AI assisted suicide.
This is an incredibly quick and easy read that I would recommend to most anyone with over an hour of daily screen time on their phone.
This is an incredibly quick and easy read that I would recommend to most anyone with over an hour of daily screen time on their phone.
July 9, 2026
I’m going to write a novel about this
June 11, 2026
Terrifying insights that 'meaning' in visual culture has become secondary to the power of images to trigger effects and that human attention has moved beyond being the product/commodity of media and become its raw material.
Paglen writes excellently and fills his essays with illustrative and genuinely fascinating case studies, including some new-to-me MKULTRA programs and connections.
Paglen writes excellently and fills his essays with illustrative and genuinely fascinating case studies, including some new-to-me MKULTRA programs and connections.
September 21, 2026
"We also need to recognize that machines have been trained to see us as machines. Our perceptual quirks, emotional triggers, and cognitive blind spots have been targeted as if they were exploitable code, hacked to shape out understanding of reality in order to actualize those realities”
Me encantó este libro, habla de muchos conceptos que me parecen muy importantes para entender la tecnología y como nos relacionamos con ella en el mundo actual (Machine Realism, Adversarial Perturbation, Image/Concept) si no fuera por este libro probablemente nunca me hubiera detenido a pensar como estudiamos y hemos logrado entender el cerebro humano tal como si fuera una máquina. Hubo algunos momentos en los que sentí que se clavaba mucho con temas conspiranoicos pero, el cuarto ensayo “Neural Activations: How Tortured Kittens, the Face of Jesus on a Slice of Toast, and Nacho Cheese Doritos Help Explain Generative AI” fue mi favorito. Da ejemplos que parecen absurdos pero son muy buenos para entender como el cerebro funciona al leer/interpretar/alucinar las los estímulos que se convierten en lo que “vemos”. Hay que empezar a entender a las imágenes más allá de lo que dicen y pensar en lo que hacen.
¿Qué beneficio nos trae realmente convertir el mundo en datos medibles y cuantificables y querer entender todo como verdades absolutas? ¿Qué perdemos en este intento? El problema no esta en cuantificar todo siempre y cuando entendamos que esto son representaciones de la realidad y no la realidad misma. Aún me quedó con mucho que pensar y definitivamente es un libro al que estaré volviendo.
Me encantó este libro, habla de muchos conceptos que me parecen muy importantes para entender la tecnología y como nos relacionamos con ella en el mundo actual (Machine Realism, Adversarial Perturbation, Image/Concept) si no fuera por este libro probablemente nunca me hubiera detenido a pensar como estudiamos y hemos logrado entender el cerebro humano tal como si fuera una máquina. Hubo algunos momentos en los que sentí que se clavaba mucho con temas conspiranoicos pero, el cuarto ensayo “Neural Activations: How Tortured Kittens, the Face of Jesus on a Slice of Toast, and Nacho Cheese Doritos Help Explain Generative AI” fue mi favorito. Da ejemplos que parecen absurdos pero son muy buenos para entender como el cerebro funciona al leer/interpretar/alucinar las los estímulos que se convierten en lo que “vemos”. Hay que empezar a entender a las imágenes más allá de lo que dicen y pensar en lo que hacen.
¿Qué beneficio nos trae realmente convertir el mundo en datos medibles y cuantificables y querer entender todo como verdades absolutas? ¿Qué perdemos en este intento? El problema no esta en cuantificar todo siempre y cuando entendamos que esto son representaciones de la realidad y no la realidad misma. Aún me quedó con mucho que pensar y definitivamente es un libro al que estaré volviendo.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Frankly, when I chose this book, I was looking for something more technical, filled with relevant keywords and phrases.
Although, the book took a semi wrong turn for me, the turn was plesantly surprising. After this book, my AI prompts for image and video creation will be different. The insights, beginning with the concept of Umwelt and moving through neural networks (briefly), machine orchestration, and the society of psyops, enriched my understanding significantly.
The power theory in the contemporary image culture sounds like a product of multiple conspiracy theories. The toy labelled photo is shocking but Gen AI prompting often leads me towards various such examples.
The focus on linguistic flexibility adds further depth and nuance to the discussion.
I am particularly fascinated about the deception principles of the psyop programs.
Overall, an insightful book to understand the machine's perspective of images (& media culture) and what we have been feeding them for quite sometimes.
Although, the book took a semi wrong turn for me, the turn was plesantly surprising. After this book, my AI prompts for image and video creation will be different. The insights, beginning with the concept of Umwelt and moving through neural networks (briefly), machine orchestration, and the society of psyops, enriched my understanding significantly.
The power theory in the contemporary image culture sounds like a product of multiple conspiracy theories. The toy labelled photo is shocking but Gen AI prompting often leads me towards various such examples.
The focus on linguistic flexibility adds further depth and nuance to the discussion.
I am particularly fascinated about the deception principles of the psyop programs.
Overall, an insightful book to understand the machine's perspective of images (& media culture) and what we have been feeding them for quite sometimes.
August 12, 2026
In zes essays gaat Paglen in op de impact van beelden in het tijdperk van AI.
Beeldherkenning en generatieve AI hebben onze omgang met beelden sterk veranderd. Volgens Paglen is de vraag die we ons moeten stellen verschoven van ‘Wat betekenen beelden?’ naar ‘Wat doen beelden?’
Aan de hand van enkele tot de verbeelding sprekende voorbeelden — Magritte, UFO-beelden, goochelaars en psyops — geeft Paglen ons inzicht in beeldherkenning en beeldgeneratie, in hoe onze hersenen beelden verwerken en vooral ook in hoe onze hersenen, en dus wij, misleid kunnen worden.
Boeiend, relevant en bovendien leuk om te lezen.
Beeldherkenning en generatieve AI hebben onze omgang met beelden sterk veranderd. Volgens Paglen is de vraag die we ons moeten stellen verschoven van ‘Wat betekenen beelden?’ naar ‘Wat doen beelden?’
Aan de hand van enkele tot de verbeelding sprekende voorbeelden — Magritte, UFO-beelden, goochelaars en psyops — geeft Paglen ons inzicht in beeldherkenning en beeldgeneratie, in hoe onze hersenen beelden verwerken en vooral ook in hoe onze hersenen, en dus wij, misleid kunnen worden.
Boeiend, relevant en bovendien leuk om te lezen.
Read
June 6, 2026A great primer for the technological changes and epistemological consequences that have occurred in the last ten years. Paglen has recently made headlines with his speculation that Caravaggio and Da Vinci would embrace modern technologies, which has perhaps made him appear (in the mainstream) as an AI-optimist or evangelist, but these essays make it clear that he is approaching our current moment with a fascination that is deeply critical.
July 1, 2026
This book, a consideration of the image in the age of AI, is so crucial, so timely (overdue, even), so needed. Rather than an essay collection, I wanted this book to be a polemic railing against the distortion and manipulation of our senses and cognition, but when considered as an art book in the style of Barthes or Berger (thanks, Tim), I think the project ultimately offers sharp, generative insights and analysis. Excited to read more of Paglen's writing on AI.
August 29, 2026
A return to the useful Verso salvo. Paglen's experience in seeing, image creation and artificial intelligence is truly fascinating and his insights were startling and useful. I thought that the UFO / conspiracy oriented sections were... less useful, if incidentally fascinating. Still, I'd recommend without question.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.
I like this more than I expected. I'll also never be able to see Doritos the same way again.
Basically: Images are about narrative. They are a separate type of reality. We have to treat them that way: not asking what AI images are, but what they aim to do.
I like this more than I expected. I'll also never be able to see Doritos the same way again.
Basically: Images are about narrative. They are a separate type of reality. We have to treat them that way: not asking what AI images are, but what they aim to do.
July 23, 2026
Great deep dive on the history of images, and how images in our current culture function (spoiler alert, it doesn't work the way you would assume it does).
Lacks some technicality and leans into artistic and philosophical language, but offers unique perspectives on AI that I think are important.
Lacks some technicality and leans into artistic and philosophical language, but offers unique perspectives on AI that I think are important.
June 13, 2026
Fascinating and extremely relevant.
June 21, 2026
It's not good, folks! (The book is good, the broader "it" is not).
July 10, 2026
Important gear for your brain meats.
July 28, 2026
Mostly entertaining even if it doesn't have nearly as much to say as it thinks it does, some hilarious overstatements, the history of the psy-op chapter is fantastic
August 8, 2026
Bruhhhh this is scary
August 19, 2026
a headcrasher, brainfood book
i do not want to forget what is in it
i do not want to forget what is in it
September 13, 2026
Good read, care about what you consume.
July 21, 2026
Valuable, insightful, more people should read it, but boy does it make you feel BAD when you do.
Speaking of feels bad: there's another 4 star review on goodreads by someone who, on another book review site, repeats what they've written here but also how reading this book has changed the way they will be doing prompts for their AI image and video creation and using ideas from the umwelt to the "society of the psyop" to inform them. I hate it here.
Speaking of feels bad: there's another 4 star review on goodreads by someone who, on another book review site, repeats what they've written here but also how reading this book has changed the way they will be doing prompts for their AI image and video creation and using ideas from the umwelt to the "society of the psyop" to inform them. I hate it here.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews