Against black boxes. Design and artificial intelligence

Although the concept of “artificial intelligence” (AI) is an old one, its presence is constantly growing, whether in media, pop culture, or everyday objects. In the 2010’s, the power of “self-learning” systems, those of deep learning, is related to unintelligible architectures (black boxes). These AIs progressively could replace tasks commonly assigned to designers. In this process, there is a risk that design becomes nothing more than an automated way of doing things and services, and that of formatting human experiences. How are these issues addressed by designers? What can design do “with” artificial intelligence?

Anthony Masure is the Head of Research at HEAD–Geneva. He is a graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure (ENS) of Paris-Saclay, where he studied design. He is a member of the team LLA-CRÉATIS Design of the University Toulouse – Jean Jaurès. His research focuses on the social, political and aesthetic implications of digital technologies. He cofounded the research journals Réel-Virtuel and Back Office. His essay Design et humanités numériques (Design and digital humanities) was published in 2017 by Les Éditions B42 (Paris). http://www.anthonymasure.com