Antidefuturing: Seizing the Means of Interaction

Ollscoil na Gaillimhe –  University of Galway

A Centre for Creative Technologies Masterclass with Robert Collins, Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden.

Studio 3, O'Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance

Masterclasses @ Centre for Creative Technologies

The Centre for Creative Technologies masterclass series features local, national and international speakers drawn from communities of research and creative practitioners. The sessions are open to students, researchers, staff, as well as artists and makers

In this talk, Robert Collins will speak about his design research into contestable systems and why he calls himself an antidefuturist. While automation and AI technologies take an increasingly consequential – if not existential – role in society and its future, we need to seek ways to push back against its defuturing effect on society. Both capitalism and algorithmic systems work best with predictable inputs and limited outcomes, but this is not how society or technology has to be. Taking inspiration from subjects as diverse as the Right to Repair, agonistic pluralism and capitalist realism, we will hopefully get everyone onboard with this critical, but constructive, position and justify the mouthful of a word that it needs to be.  Speaker Bio<a href="https://www.robbycollins.com" title="https://www.robbycollins.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Robert Collins</a> is a doctoral researcher at Umeå Institute of Design in Northern Sweden. He is currently researching ways in which design can be leveraged for a more sustainable socio-technical future through repair and agonistic engagement.  <a href="http://www.robbycollins.com/" title="http://www.robbycollins.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.robbycollins.com</a>