Cecilia Tham, a PhD candidate at the Institute of Design, shares her journey and extensive work in futures design. She discusses how she integrates scientific research, technological advancements, and creative imagination to develop innovative future concepts. The presentation showcases various projects, from "electronic edibles" and "necrobots" to "autonomous plants" and inclusive AI personas, illustrating her methodology for synthesizing and designing potential futures.
The "Herby the Autonomous Plant" project explores economic participation for non-humans by equipping plants with sensors, a crypto wallet, and decision-making capabilities. Herby can autonomously sell its produce (e.g., tomatoes) for Bitcoins, manage its finances, and even invest in startups related to its needs (like water). This aims to integrate non-humans into our human-centric economy, allowing them to prioritize themselves and potentially become active participants. The project also extends to creating NFTs representing digital twins of these plants and forming DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) where plants can make investment decisions.
