Context

Previous work that influenced my design came from my and my classmates' research as well as concepts covered in class. One of the biggest influences was the concept of machine agency. We give an object "intelligence" and in this case, disguise it under the advertisement of productivity and beauty. Other student's case studies like the roomba that maps out the room or LAUREN, a "human version of Alexa," provided inspiration for this guise since people will really only buy those items and invite them into their life for convenience, not realizing the gradual sacrifices in their privacy and comfort that they have made. When we create products like these, it brings up the question of what is ethical to create. If we make sure that the product is only given a kind agenda, is that enough? Or is it wrong to create products that have a hold over humans in the first place? And if a well-doer agenda is enough, how do we define good from bad? Conversations like these from class are what helped inspire this project.