Abstract
In this 45-minute interactive workshop, participants will take part in a custom-designed social game. In a group of around 20, a few hidden “AI agents” are embedded within a human community. As the group engages in open discussion about how AI is reshaping family dynamics—through smart parenting tools, algorithmic communication, emotional outsourcing, and beyond—players must also try to detect who among them might be the “AI agents.” Through this playful yet thought-provoking activity, we will explore pressing questions: How does AI affect trust, emotional authenticity, and intergenerational connection? Can technology that mimics care ultimately erode it? Could we be moving toward a model reminiscent of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, where emotional depth is replaced by engineered stability and superficial contentment? In such a world, familial bonds risk being reduced to manageable functions within a controlled system—efficient, but devoid of meaningful connection. Or can human-centered, community-rooted design counterbalance AI’s influence? The session opens with a short reflection on how AI technologies may be fragmenting intimacy in domestic life—and how collective rituals, like games, might help communities resist that fragmentation. Participants are encouraged to bring both skepticism and optimism into the conversation. Whether “AI” or not, everyone will be invited to share positive visions for how design can preserve emotional connection over the next 20 years.
Presenters
Tatyana IudeanAssistant Professor, Visual arts, Graphic design, New World School of the Arts, Florida, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Design Across Time
KEYWORDS
AI, Family, Community, Design, Social, Game, Learning, Society, Huxley, Future
