Co-performance: Conceptualizing the role of artificial agency in the design of everyday life

Lenneke Kuijer, Elisa Giaccardi

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeConference contributionScientificpeer-review

44 Citations (Scopus)
57 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper introduces the notion of co-performance, with the aim to offer Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers and practitioners a new perspective on the role of artificial agency in everyday life, from automated systems to autonomous devices. In contrast to 'smartness,' which focuses on a supposed autonomy of artifacts, co-performance considers artifacts as capable of learning and performing next to people. This shifts the locus of design from matters of distributions of agency at design time, to matters of embodied learning in everyday practice for both human and artificial performers. From this perspective, co-performance acknowledges the dynamic differences in capabilities between humans and artifacts, and highlights the fundamentally recursive relation between professional design and use. Implications for HCI design practice are unpacked through reflections on smart thermostat design in light of historic changes in roles between humans and heating systems, and changing ideas of appropriateness in everyday practices of domestic heating.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCHI'18 Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Place of PublicationNew York
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Pages1-14
Number of pages14
ISBN (Electronic)978-1-4503-5620-6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Event2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI EA 2018 - Montreal, Canada
Duration: 21 Apr 201826 Apr 2018

Conference

Conference2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI EA 2018
Abbreviated titleCHI EA'18
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityMontreal
Period21/04/1826/04/18

Bibliographical note

Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

Keywords

  • Artificial agency
  • Autonomous devices
  • Co-performance
  • Smart thermostats
  • Theoretic foundations
  • Theories of practice

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