Paper short abstract:

The workshop explores designers' responsibility in the AI era, emphasising the transformative role of the arts in societal transitions through iterative, collaborative, and sensory-based activities. Aims to enrich dialogues on ethics in/of/for design in an STS context.

Paper long abstract:

The ‘Designing with Uncertainty: Co-creative event’ reimagines design practices in the context of digital automation and AI, by positioning design practices as pivotal for societal transitions. This workshop fosters critical reflection on ethical implications of integrating digital technologies in design, advocating a nuanced understanding of designers’ responsibilities.

Rooted in my doctoral research, this workshop confronts ethical challenges of opaque AI, promoting design ethics as an invitation to care. It leverages 'response-ability' (Haraway, 2016) to explore designers’ accountability, intertwining emergent knowing (Manning, 2016) with Walker's (2007) expressive-collaborative framework to redefine responsibility in design.

Structured as an exploratory journey, it involves iterative, collaborative, and sensory-based activities: from performative reading to a collective walk for material gathering and scored aesthetic encounters delving into the concept of responsibility. These explorations facilitate emergence, reflection, and engagement with critical themes of vulnerability and dependency.

Previously held in art/design contexts, this workshop's introduction to an STS setting aims to deepen transdisciplinary understandings, inspiring actionable strategies for ethical engagement and emphasizing the transformative potential of arts in ethical discourse. This venture into a new setting is expected to stimulate dialogue that enriches responsible design practices, underscoring the critical role of the arts in shaping our shared technological futures.