Artificial Intelligence
Recent years have seen significant developments in machine learning and AI with the rise of radical concepts such as posthumanism, a concept that merges the human and non-human (Forlano, 2017). Some futurists have estimated that by the year 2030, mundane devices will have computational power equivalent to the human intelligence if not greater (Faste, 2016). Tomorrow’s generation is set to face an explosion of ubiquitous computing, self-driving cars, and context-aware systems. The benefits are of course enormous, but so are the concerns. For example, there will be clear implications on the future of employment which might negatively affect human dignity and self-worth. If machines are more productive, what will that mean for employment and what will the future of education look like? Why should societies invest in humans if robots are capable of reasoning more effectively?
The consequences of these technological advancements will put designers at a cross road. More than ever designers need to look ahead and consider the effects of their design practices on the environment and what it means to be human. In this post, I will cover the impact of AI on humans, specifically human dignity, and the approach we as designers can take to create a sustainable and humane future.
AI: Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Individuals
While AI machines can vastly empower humans, they can also render humans obsolete. Before GPS applications such as Google maps became mainstream, we used our knowledge to navigate. Today we blindly follow directions so much that we have lost our ability to do so. If we reach a junction, we trust the algorithm. What if this junction is a decision, a career choice for instance?
Biometric sensors have become ubiquitous nowadays. We use them to determine how to live trusting that algorithms know what is best. For instance, if a fitness application is encouraging me to exercise more or an entertainment application suggests a movie I like, then I feel satisfied. However, over time my choices are reduced to brain signals and signal readers. “I” has disappeared since I have outsourced my identity to an algorithm. Consequently, “I” is no longer an individual but an artificial individual that carries signals which are best recognized by algorithms. AI algorithms may alter our view of human dignity because it will represent the human as nothing more than a complex machine. Seymourpowell’s Atmosphere Collar (2019) (see figure 1) is a device that extensively alters the way we live and raises the question of what it means to be human.
Actor Network is another theory that impacts human dignity. This theory adopts the notion of flattening in which all beings living or non-living are alike and share the same significance (Forlano, 2017). I do not agree with this notion as I believe that humans will always have the highest status amongst living forms. While many would list human reason and consciousness as what makes humans significant, Fukuyama (2002) believes that human dignity is related to the fact that we are intricate wholes rather than sum of parts (e.g., culture, reason, consciousness, religion). Some animals have consciousness or even a culture of their own; however, they don’t possess the genetic makeup that allows them to become a whole. Hence, the importance of fostering the human dignity and revolving our practices around it.
Sustainable Designerly Approach
During Tyler Fox’s workshop, one of the ideas that was discussed is a VR for indoor plants to connect them with the outside environment. I had reservations on this idea. I believe that if we force technology upon nature, we detract from the natural in this world. It is already alarming how highly dependent humans are on technology. Do we want to force nature to be as dependent? Is technology the only right way forward?
Instead of forcing nature to be technological, why not make technology natural? One of the design approaches that I’m interested in is Biomimicry design, a discipline that examines the processes of nature and imitates these processes in design to solve human problems (Antonelli, 2016). If we observe nature and apply its design wisdom, we can learn how to limit our use of natural resources and become efficient, similar to the approach taken by Marti Guixe in his project Solar Energy Kitchen (2011) (see Figure 2).
Another sustainable approach which we learned about during our Green Lab workshop is circular economic systems which helps in solving sustainability challenges through better eco-designs and the recycle/reuse of materials. Following this approach, I had the opportunity to design with the support of my team an eco-friendly lantern made of algae.
Design fiction is also a sustainable approach that was first coined by the futurist Bruce Sterling (2005). This approach has proven to be a beneficial tool to explore the future impacts of our designs (Rapp, 2019). It adopts narrative structures to communicate possible futures for technology which in turn push designers not only to explore technical outcomes but also social and environmental ones. As a result, this approach heightens the designers’ awareness of design-related trade-offs.
Balancing Priorities
AI has become an integral part of our daily lives; however, even as technology offers us more possibilities, we in fact require fewer objects. It is our duty as designers to be critical and challenge the relevance of everyday products. We need to consider and assess the impact of our creations on the environment and society.
As a UX designer, I want to design for a sustainable humane future rather than an AI world. I believe that we need to balance priorities and draw a line between what is acceptable to us and what is not. The future doesn’t need to be an AI future but rather AI-enabled through human interactions. We as designers need to understand AI, what it can do, and how to create user-enabled working systems. Only then can we achieve a creative future in which the artificial extends what users want to do instead of replacing them.
References
Antonelli, P., 2016. Design and The Elastic Mind. In: H. Armstrong, ed., Digital Design Theory : Readings from the Field. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp.106 -110.
Faste, H., 2016. Posthuman-Centered Design. In: H. Armstrong, ed., Digital Design Theory : Readings from the Field. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp.134-137.
Forlano, L., 2017. Posthumanism and Design. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 3(1), pp.16-29.
Fukuyama, F., 2002. Our Posthuman Future: Consequences Of The Biotechnology Revolution. New York: Picador - Farrar, Straus and Giroux, pp.148-164.
Rapp, A., 2018. Design fictions for behaviour change: exploring the long-term impacts of technology through the creation of fictional future prototypes. Behaviour & Information Technology, 38(3), pp.244-272.
Images
Guixe, M., 2011. Marti Guixe - Guixe.Com - PROJECTS | Lapin Kulta Solar Kitchen. [online] Guixe.com. Available at: <http://www.guixe.com/projects/Solar_Kitchen/Lapin_Kulta_Solar_Kitchen.html> [Accessed 11 April 2020].
Seymourpowell, 2020. Seymourpowell Atmosphere. [video] Available at: <https://vimeo.com/395242463> [Accessed 11 April 2020].
