idd cairo
On December 12, 2024, I had the honour to be invited as a keynote speaker at the Italian Design Day hosted by the Italian Trade Agency in Cairo, led by Vincenzo Cali. The event, beautifully organized by Studio Paradigm under the creative direction of Ammer Harb, featured an introduction by the Italian ambassador Michele Quaroni, as well as talks by fellow academics Daniela Amandolese, from German University in Cairo, and Carol Khoury, from Coventry University.
Image Credits Studio Paradigm
In my talk titled “Design for Radical AI Thinking”, I started with a critique of prevailing narratives surrounding AI products and innovations, to highlight how on the one hand we are living in an era of radical changes, while, on the other, we are once again subject to normative and determinist views of technological innovation. In this, I suggested that design represents a force that can either reinforce these views or challenge them, in favour of more radical ways of thinking around AI. I concluded with a broader look at how design can help us rethink our relationship with technology, from conceptualizations of ownership and utility to matters of relationship and mutuality.
