Abstract
The narrative imaginary surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been predominantly shaped by science fiction cinema and television, with dystopian scenarios prevailing. This dominance poses a significant challenge by constraining designers’ creative capacities to envision alternatives beyond the dystopian genre. It reinforces fear-based representations, fostering a polarizing perspective of being either for or against AI, rather than embracing a range of diverse viewpoints. Such narrative fundamentalism jeopardizes the foundational values of freedom, equity, and democracy central to design education, narrowing the scope for fostering inclusive and complex understandings of AI. To counteract these limitations, this research introduces the Solarpunk movement as an alternative framework. Solar punks hopeful and ecologically sustainable vision provides a compelling counter- narrative, enabling designers to explore optimistic and actionable futures. This study employs a qualitative methodology, integrating a critical literature review with case study analysis, focusing on the Solarpunk themes evident in the film The Wild Robot. Through this analysis, we identify recurring narrative elements and pragmatic aspects of Solarpunk that hold the potential for creating alternative design futures. The findings underscore the importance of empowering design scholars and practitioners to engage with AI integration constructively. Designers are positioned as key facilitators of transition, mediating between emerging technologies and societal needs. By adopting Solar punks values, they can actively shape collaborative and sustainable futures. This research highlights the pivotal role of design educators in equipping future designers with the tools and perspectives necessary to craft inclusive narratives, thereby fostering a more democratic and innovative design practice for an AI-integrated society.
Keywords
AI Narratives; Solarpunk; Design Education; Future Studies
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.523
Citation
Serbanescu, A.,and Schuller, K.(2025) Reimagining AI Futures. Solarpunk Narratives in Design Education, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.523
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 2 - Design Futuring
Reimagining AI Futures. Solarpunk Narratives in Design Education
The narrative imaginary surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been predominantly shaped by science fiction cinema and television, with dystopian scenarios prevailing. This dominance poses a significant challenge by constraining designers’ creative capacities to envision alternatives beyond the dystopian genre. It reinforces fear-based representations, fostering a polarizing perspective of being either for or against AI, rather than embracing a range of diverse viewpoints. Such narrative fundamentalism jeopardizes the foundational values of freedom, equity, and democracy central to design education, narrowing the scope for fostering inclusive and complex understandings of AI. To counteract these limitations, this research introduces the Solarpunk movement as an alternative framework. Solar punks hopeful and ecologically sustainable vision provides a compelling counter- narrative, enabling designers to explore optimistic and actionable futures. This study employs a qualitative methodology, integrating a critical literature review with case study analysis, focusing on the Solarpunk themes evident in the film The Wild Robot. Through this analysis, we identify recurring narrative elements and pragmatic aspects of Solarpunk that hold the potential for creating alternative design futures. The findings underscore the importance of empowering design scholars and practitioners to engage with AI integration constructively. Designers are positioned as key facilitators of transition, mediating between emerging technologies and societal needs. By adopting Solar punks values, they can actively shape collaborative and sustainable futures. This research highlights the pivotal role of design educators in equipping future designers with the tools and perspectives necessary to craft inclusive narratives, thereby fostering a more democratic and innovative design practice for an AI-integrated society.