Using Game Engines to Design Digital Workshops for AI Legibility

Pilling, Franziska and Akmal, Haider Ali and Gradinar, Adrian and Lindley, Joseph and Coulton, Paul (2021) Using Game Engines to Design Digital Workshops for AI Legibility. In: 14th International Conference of the European Academy of Design : Safe Harbours for Design Research. Blucher Design Proceedings . Blucher Publishing House, São Paulo, pp. 394-403. ISBN 9786555060683

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Abstract

Like many researchers responding to the pandemic, we have had to adapt design practices traditionally done face-to-face to online experiences. While online services provide adequate support for communication and sharing, they do not readily support the physical tools designed for workshop activities. This paper presents our experience of turning a face-to-face workshop into a digital experience that sustained the primary research goals relating to AI legibility and took advantage of the online world, rather than merely adapting to it, by utilising the game engine Godot. This paper explores the theoretical scaffolding that led to the creation of the workshops, which explore AI legibility through iconography and the transition of the workshop experience from face-to-face to online. The workshop’s conception followed the original approach of Research through Design and allowed participants to fully engage with our research during the pandemic.