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Who are we when the body becomes programmable? This project introduces augmented presence: a state where digital and physical realities fully merge. Set in 2050, it questions dominant defaults around bodies, gender, and identity, using AI to prototype posthuman modes of self. This project was publicly presented at Speculative Futures Barcelona in 2026 as part of their relaunch.
Year
2024
Client/ University
Master Thesis at University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf
Topic
AI Ethics, Digital AI
The project combines theory on digital bodies with speculative creation of digital entities that embody alternative identity models beyond anthropocentrism. It explores how designers can use AI technology responsibly and thoughtfully to challenge and deconstruct traditional body ideals and gender norms, making deliberate design decisions that shape new digital identities.
As a critical contribution to design research, it calls for a rethinking of digital design as a cultural, aesthetic, and ethical practice.
This project explores a future where technology has permanently blurred the boundary between physical and digital existence. Driven by brain-computer interfaces, neural networks, and multisensor feedback, a synchronized digital layer overlays reality and the human self: transforming individuals into hybrid beings whose virtual projections redefine aesthetics, identity, and social value.
Within this pervasive augmentation, the project introduces speculative entities and avatars that function as interactive, communication-based digital layers over the physical environment.
Drawing direct inspiration from nature, their behaviors translate biological principles into digital dynamics: for instance, a hairy entity whose fur grows dramatically in public spaces to safeguard user privacy, but recedes to share data during intimate interactions. Other avatars communicate through fluid secretions or utilize sensors capable of tuning into specific digital frequencies.
Below: Presentation at Speculative Futures Barcelona 2026.
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