Artificially Self-Employed
Microsoft Research collaboration project about the future of work and AI
Academic Rsearch Project
Collaboration with Microsoft Research Lab, Cambridge
My Role & Tools Used
Research & Design
Art Direction (Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro)
UI & UX Design (Figma, Illustrator)
Game Design, Prototyping & Development (HTML, CSS & JS, Twine)
Physical Prototyping (3D print, Physical Computing, Physical Interface Prototyping & Design)
3D Generalist (3Ds Max, Vray)
Video Production & Motion Design (After Effects, Premiere Pro)
Team
Collaboration with Vivek Menon
Date
2019
Context
Is AI a threat to industries that are self-managed?
Our project investigates how AI could help manage the life of someone who is self-employed, but in having more agency could threaten the autonomy that is unique to this industry.
What we did and how
Our process involved rapid prototyping and ethnographic research by documenting a series of interviews conducted with delivery riders in the gig economy about their jobs.
That has led us to design a digital platform that empowers the gig workers by giving them more control. Our project explores the possibility of managing multiple apps and allows for crossovers between various kinds of gig work.
We have produced a short documentary on the food delivery riders as well as an immersive mixed-media game in which you play as one of the riders and get to test our speculative platform that is your personal AI manager.
For increased immersion, I have designed and built a dedicated handlebar-based controller as well as a helmet with integrated speakers and a heads-up display.
