Immersing oneself in a world without artificial intelligence? A borderline experience today, an impossibility tomorrow – that much is certain for Thomas Feichtner and Markus Well from the Institute of Industrial Design at FH Joanneum. As part of this year’s Design Month Graz »The New Real«, they are launching a highly anticipated experiment with »Tools for Transformation«. Also on display: visionary design objects by Styrian students, created to make an impact on the world.

The gateway opens. And we are faced with a choice. Step through – or stay outside? A touch of The Matrix. Those who pass through enter a world unlike the one we know today – a world without artificial intelligence and algorithms, the pure world of the analogue. Those who stay outside choose the real world, which has long since become a digital one – The New Real.

“What may seem exaggerated or utopian today will be everyday reality in just a few years: artificial intelligence will be omnipresent, it will have eyes and ears, it will be able to perceive and understand, and it will become an integral part of not only the digital but also the physical world,” explains Thomas Feichtner, Head of the Institute of Industrial Design at FH Joanneum. “Even today, it is almost impossible to escape AI – wherever there are smartphones and devices, there is artificial intelligence, simply through access to our photos. Drawing a boundary and creating an AI-free space – even temporarily – requires considerable effort.”

Literally excluding artificial intelligence is the goal of the exhibition »T4T – Tools for Transformation«, curated by Thomas Feichtner and Markus Well as part of this year’s Design Month Graz. At its core is a space in the middle of the Festival Centre, Hornig Areal, that transforms into an AI-free zone – like an analogue capsule. Entry is only permitted through a gateway, reminiscent of an airport security check, where visitors must hand in all digital devices. “With this gateway, we are drawing an artificial boundary between the world with AI and the world without AI, to make people aware of how far-reaching artificial intelligence has already become – in both private and public life,” says Feichtner. Inside, workshops are held by students from FH Joanneum. There, people think, build, sketch and design – entirely without digital tools. Creativity unplugged – the white sheet of paper reigns.

“This raises many exciting questions,” says Markus Well. “For example, how does creativity change when artificial intelligence is deliberately excluded? What does it mean for designers and their concepts when these can no longer be documented?” The rule is: nothing created in the analogue room may leave it. Feichtner explains: “All designs are ephemeral and exist only for the duration of the exhibition. Digital recordings can neither enter nor leave the space.” Only experiences and memories remain. “But we’re not doing this out of nostalgic sentiment or because we oppose AI,” Feichtner emphasises, “but rather to make the profound transformation of creative processes and our living environment tangible.” Gaining insights through reversal. “By inverting the new reality through the deliberate exclusion of digital influences, we enable analogue creativity to become a tangible experience,” Feichtner summarises the inside-out experiment. “We’re genuinely curious to see how participants and visitors will respond.”

Small Intervention, Big Impact

»T4T« is part of the exhibition »Design for Transformation« at the Festival Centre. It showcases objects by third-semester Industrial Design students that aim to provide answers to the fundamental changes taking place in society.

“The task was: how can simple, low-complexity new objects influence people’s behaviour – and thereby change the world?” says Feichtner, describing the principle of “small intervention, big impact.” “With this, our students are contributing to a socially and ecologically sustainable future,” explain Feichtner and Well. “What impressed us most was the breadth of themes and the openness in the approaches. It was important to us that the designers each find their own personal approach to the topic of transformation,” Well adds.

Topics range from nutrition and fashion to mobility. A compelling example: the “Smart Shopping Basket” by Lukas Gabesam. The designer created a shopping basket that also functions as a nutrition guide. Divided sections in the basket help users separate food items by nutrient type or calorie content during shopping, and – supported by a dedicated app – pre-sort the products for a specific dietary style. A timely contribution in an era of increasingly common lifestyle diseases caused by poor nutrition.

Felix Wildberger’s “Urban Bicycle” offers a contribution to sustainable production methods of the future. The CNC-bent frame makes cost-effective production in Europe feasible. Markus Well notes: “Many of the projects address themes such as conscious consumption, resources and the circular economy – but always without a moralising tone, instead offering positive incentives.” The takeaway: Ready for transformation.

This article originally appeared in SPIRIT of Styria | Text: Wolfgang Schober