Exploring the Future of AI-Infused Objects
Imagine a world where everyday objects are imbued with the power of generative AI. What possibilities and challenges would emerge? ThingsCon aims to explore this frontier by inviting designers to create provotypes of the near future “generative things”.
The exhibition “Generative Things” premiered at TH/NGS 2024, on 13 December 2024 in Volkshotel Amsterdam, and will travel to other places in 2025, sparking conversations and imaginations. This initiative is organized by ThingsCon, in collaboration with the Master Digital Design of Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Waag Futurelab.
Next up:
14 April: 13:00-19:00, Exhibition and Salon: Provotypes interactions with city and citizens (workshop 15:00-17:00) (RSVP)
15 April: 10:00-17:00, Speculative Design Workshop – Futuring the City with Generative Things (RSVP)
More info below and via Meetup-pages.
Impressions from TH/NGS 2024
Provotypes from the near future: Catalysts for Critical Thinking
To ignite imagination and foster meaningful discussions, we like to use the concept of “provotypes” – provocative prototypes of generative things. These tangible glimpses into tomorrow are catalysts, opening up critical dialogues about our impending relationships with AI-infused objects.
Kick-off: Dutch Design Week 2024 Our exploration started at Dutch Design Week 2024 in Eindhoven. We challenged design practitioners and researchers to envision a world where generative AI empowers objects, as briefing for the designers that participated in the design contest. In a ThingsCon Salon Iskander kick-off the contest and did a futuring workshop led by Sen Lin.
You can discover thought-provoking insights from visionaries like Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino (PDF), Iohanna Nicenboim (PDF), Heather Wiltse & Johan Redström (PDF), Iskander Smit (PDF), Matt Webb (PDF), and Simone Rebaudengo (PDF).
Kick-off exhibition at TH/NGS 2024
On 6 December, our panel of judges – Daniel Goddemeyer, Kars Alfrink, and Marcel Schouwenaar – convened to evaluate the submitted designs. Their deliberations unveiled six pivotal themes set to define the landscape of Generative Things. The most compelling projects were showcased at TH/NGS 2024 on 13 December in Volkshotel Amsterdam, offering a tangible glimpse into our potential future.
The six emerged themes:
Trust & Truth – Can Generative AI produce truthful output if it doesn’t have a concept of truth itself? And can we trust AI systems if they can’t tell a fact from a hallucination?
The bodily system – What if data is not confined to the world of bits and metal but is actively engaging and interfacing with the system of the body?
AI in more-than-human ecologies – It is interesting to see how designers foresee a role for AI in understanding or even voicing more-than-human perspectives.
Control of intimate AI – to what extent can we exercise control over systems that are increasingly complex and personal in nature and implication?
Embedded Gen-AI – Generative AI has the unique capability to produce comprehensive output from unstructured data.
AI & the liminal – Can AI help us understand the liminal, the magical, and the ephemeral?
Salon & Expo – 14 April 2025
Provotypes interactions with city and citizens
Next up, we’re taking Generative Things to Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Our next public event, scheduled for late 14 April, will feature:
- An updated exhibition with new and refined provotype designs, specifically relating them to city life
- An in-depth reflection workshop bringing together design students and professionals
- A public Salon to share insights and spark city-wide discussions
We’re revisiting the provotypes to create “situated designs” that respond to Amsterdam’s unique context. By partnering with local societal organizations, we’ll develop specific scenarios to test our provotypes in real-world settings, bringing the future of Generative Things to life in our city’s streets and spaces.
The program of the Salon:
14:00-15:00 Visit the exhibition with selected provotypes
15:00-17:00 Workshop to sketch out interactions in the city with each provotype
17:00-19:00 Share results, drinks and bites
We invite societal problem owners to pitch their specific focus to the participants of the workshop.
We will use an adaptation of the design canvas for envisioning and questioning near future urban robotics.
Lupetti, M. L., & Cila, N. (2019, October). Envisioning and questioning near future urban robotics. In Design and Semantics of Form and Movement. Conference: Desform.
Location
The Salon and the Speculative Design Workshop will take place at the location of Master Digital Design, Theo Thijssenhuis building, 4th floor, Wibautstraat 2-4, Amsterdam.
The building is hidden behind two other HvA buildings. This is the best way to enter:
- Take the entrance of Jakoba Mulderhuis. This is the building with the scaffolding at the corner of Rhijnspoorplein and Mauritskade.
- After entering, walk inside on the ground floor and to the left, towards the doors left of the Makerlab. You are passing the maquette of the buildings. You are entering Theo Thijssenhuis.
- After entering, the elevators are on the left. Go to the fourth floor and follow the signage.
Speculative Design Workshop Futuring the city with generative things
Connected to Salon we organize a makeathon where we create a Future Zine that brings the provotypes to life using speculative design methodologies. The outcomes will be used to create immersive experiences with the provotypes that can be presented and discussed with the visitors of the future fest in June.
Preliminary program of the SD Workshop
09:30 Introduction and icebreaker
10:00 Inspirations from the future
10:30 Discuss in groups per provotype possible future scenarios 11:30-12:30 Share and sync the different narratives
12:30 lunch
13:30 Create a contribution to the Future Zine
16:30 Share and wrap-up
The Future Zine is proposed as an online publication with immersive capabilities, the framework will be prepared by ThingsCon.
The speculative design workshop will be moderated by Iskander Smit (organiser ThingsCon, chair Cities of Things) and Daniel Goddemeyer (Design director for data and AI experiences IKEA).
Embedded expo – 14 June 2025
Shape the preferred futures
As we enter the final phase of our journey, we’re inviting the citizens of Amsterdam to shape the future of Generative Things. Join us on 14 June during the Future Fest (ToekomstTiendaagse), hosted by Waag as part of the PublicSpaces program. Here’s what you can expect:
- Explore our evolved exhibition of provotypes
- Engage with an interactive feedback system designed to capture your thoughts and concerns
- Goal is to identify the crucial aspects that should guide the development of Generative Things
Your input will be invaluable in crafting a “Manifesto for Generative Things in the City” – a document that will shape future design challenges and potentially influence the integration of AI-infused objects in urban environments.
More details will follow.
Part of the Amsterdam 750 program
The Exhibition “Generative Things” program is part of the future track of the Amsterdam 750 program line Future of The City.
