We Are (Still!) Not Giving Data Enough Credit

For most of its existence, Visual Computing has been primarily focused on algorithms, with data treated largely as an afterthought. Only recently, with the advances in AI, did our field start to truly appreciate the singularly crucial role played by data, but even now we might still be underestimating it. In this talk, I will begin with some historical examples illustrating the importance of large visual data for visual analysis and synthesis. I will then share some of our recent work demonstrating the power of very simple algorithms when used with the right data, including scene analysis, model interpolation, and visual data attribution.