Absurdist chatbots to mock AI solutionism

In an era dominated by technological solutionism, AI is often seen as a quick fix for complex problems. To accelerate the adoption of AI, leading industries and policymakers consider the development of trustworthy AI a crucial prerequisite. Inspired by the surrealist philosophy of pataphysics, I employed a novel, absurdist critical design approach to question the pursuit of trustworthy AI and its current solutions, specifically in the context of generative chatbots. 

Through an iterative design process, I developed three absurdist chatbots, each exaggerating certain assumed requirements for trustworthy AI: transparency, human control, and fairness. By creating AI that challenges the very premises on which it is built and allowing users to experience this through pataphysical design, I aimed to provoke critical reflection on the pursuit of trustworthy AI and on the prevailing view that AI is an all-purpose problem-solving tool. Finally, I call upon designers responsible for shaping AI’s development to rethink how AI could be designed, while also arguing for the potential of pataphysical design to bring this about.