Probing More-Than-Human Representation in Crisis Resilience Planning: An HCI Researcher Perspective
🤖 AI Summary
Current crisis resilience planning remains predominantly anthropocentric, often failing to effectively represent non-human species and ecosystems. This study investigates how human-computer interaction researchers can construct non-human perspectives in crisis scenarios through participatory workshops that integrate situated discussions with two types of design probes: voice-based conversational agents and immersive embodied prototypes. The findings reveal that “giving voice to the non-human” is not a neutral act of translation but entails profound design challenges concerning legitimacy, authority, and authenticity. By positioning crisis resilience planning as a critical site for AI- and immersion-mediated representation, this work offers empirical insights into the roles and tensions of technological mediation in shaping non-human participation.
Application Category
📝 Abstract
Crisis resilience planning raises urgent questions about how to include non-human species and ecological systems in participatory processes, which remain largely human-centred. This paper reports on a workshop with HCI researchers examining how more-than-human representation is approached in crisis contexts. The workshop combined scenario-based discussion with two design probes -- a voice-based conversational agent and an immersive embodied prototype -- to support sustained discussion of how emerging technologies shape engagement with non-human perspectives. Participants focused not on system usability, but on deliberating representational choices, such as voice, embodiment, and realism, and their potential role within participatory planning processes. The findings suggest that giving 'voice' to non-humans is not a neutral act of translation, but a design challenge that introduces tensions between legitimacy, authority, and authenticity. This paper provides empirical insight into how HCI researchers conceptualise more-than-human representation and positions crisis resilience planning as a critical site for examining AI- and immersion-mediated representation.
Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
more-than-human representation
crisis resilience planning
participatory processes
non-human species
ecological systems
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
more-than-human representation
crisis resilience planning
design probes
voice-based conversational agent
immersive embodiment
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