Designing-with AI: More-than-human Design in/through Practice

This dissertation explores the shift from human-centered to more-than-human design within the context of artificial intelligence (AI). Through a series of design research experiments—spanning performance art, podcasting, kite-making, and designing interactive prototypes—it highlights anthropocentric biases in conversational AI and proposes more inclusive designs that can listen to and respond to more-than-human voices. Grounded in the critical posthumanities and developing a practice of designing-with, this research offers practical tools for designers and HCI researchers who aim to decenter the human in AI: It develops tactics and techniques for situating AI interactions, exposing entanglements within AI systems, and enacting alternative relations with AI agents. Additionally, the dissertation introduces emergent concepts to assist more-than-human designers in articulating their practices. Ultimately, it emphasizes the unique role of designers in generating posthuman knowledge rather than merely translating theory into practice.