A speculative design exploring human value in AI dominance
EMOTION 2050
Type
Personal Project
Speculative Design & Game Design & design fictions
Time
04/2023
Location
Beijing, China
When AI fully meets material needs and traditional jobs are replaced, how can humans redefine their self-worth? Emotional 2050 is a speculative design to exploring how emotions might reshape personal value and social structures in a future driven by automation. It challenges people to rethink how humans can find self-worth within a new emotional economy in an age of advanced technology.
01 BACKGROUND
The 21st century is an era of booming AI technology. Advances in AI have brought significant changes to human production and life. However, this also raises new questions about human values and social structures.
Technology-Driven Social Change
The emergence of technology drives social development, and people's lifestyles, work methods, and needs are also changing accordingly.
How do people deal with unemployment?
What role do humans play in society?
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
In 1943, Maslow summarized human needs in his theory "A Theory of Human Motivation."
From primitive society to the information society, human needs evolved from merely basic survival to broader self-actualization.
However, in the AI era, new challenges have emerged, such as in job security and self-actualization. The development of human needs shows a trend of setbacks.
Thus, in the future, how do people redefine self-actualization and realize self-value?
Design Opportunities
As a designer, after researching work relationships and human needs, I have come up with the following reflections:
· What is the value of human beings in a society filled with AI production?
· What are the unique values that distinguish people from AI?
· How is social value distributed in the future with widespread unemployment?
· How will technology change the relationship between individuals and work?
· Will the future hierarchy of human needs be similar to Maslow's proposed in 1943?
· As material wealth increases, can people focus more on their mental and emotional well-being?
· Will the value of other things also change accordingly?
In this context, how can we use Speculative Design to explore alternative human-work relationships and envision new ways to integrate human values, emotions, and creativity into work environments increasingly shaped by AI and automation?
02 IDEATION
Starting in 2050, AI has resolved productivity issues, with most production managed by AI. While material needs are abundantly met, the unemployment rate has significantly increased, with 80% of jobs being replaced by AI and predictions indicating this will continue to rise.
Typical Issues in 2050
By brainstorming the issues from probable futures to preposterous future, I finally summarize typical issues in three perspectives:
1
Employment and Personal Value
AI replaces a large number of traditional jobs, leading to mass unemployment and diminishing human value. People struggle with a lost sense of purpose and fulfillment.
2
Competition Pressure and Mental Health
Facing a shrinking job market and the high efficiency of AI, people experience growing survival pressure, leading to increased stress and mental health issues, including anxiety and burnout.
3
Income Models and Social Value Distribution
With AI handling most production, traditional income models and social value distribution are no longer applicable. Society faces challenges in ensuring fair resource distribution.
03 SOLUTION
To address these issues, a new reform has transformed society.
After 2050, the concept of emotional value was introduced, marking a new job revolution. New job systems, wealth distribution methods, and market transaction rules were gradually implemented.
An organization was established to manage and oversee the world of emotional value.
04 new work system
The issue of Employment and Personal Value has introduced a new emotional labor system. Through emotional value, humans can redefine their roles and worth, no longer relying on traditional work and production models. Emotional labor not only solves the unemployment problem but also helps individuals regain a sense of presence and accomplishment.
Salary Settlement
The salary of an emotional worker is based on the total sum of Relative Emotional Value (REV) over time. Emotional Value is the current measured state of emotion, and when it exceeds a certain level, it generates a positive REV.
Career Development
Emotional workers have broad promotion opportunities. As their level increases, the conversion rate of emotional value to salary becomes higher.
The criteria for promotion mainly depend on individual emotional abilities. High-level workers have stronger emotional control and stability, enabling them to maintain better emotions over time and earn more income.
Emotional Badge
The Emotional Badge is specially designed for emotional workers, helping to ensure strict and accurate measurement of the value they create.
05 new market trading System
To improve social value distribution and market consumption, a new currency, Emotional Currency, was introduced. In this new system, Emotional Currency coexists with Origional Currency in the consumption environment, and emotional value becomes a part of market pricing and trade.
Currency System
Pricing System
The pricing system will be determined by both the emotional value and material value of the items.
Facial Payment
When using Emotional Currency for payment, people will engage with the Emotional Payment System. Payments are closely linked to individuals' emotional levels.
06 Game Design
Based on the previously outlined story background, I have further developed the game design to more fully express the world view of 2050 and the corresponding lifestyles of its people. Through this game, players will not only immerse themselves in the emotional work experience of 2050 but also discover answers about their own emotions: “Are you good at controlling your emotions? ” “Are you suited for emotional work in the year 2050?”
Background Setting
Most traditional jobs have been replaced by AI and automation, leaving many workers facing unemployment. The protagonist faces the same work crisis in 2050: struggling with a salary under 1000 per week, and deciding to transition into emotional work—a new and emerging career offering both challenges and potential in this future world.
Gameplay
Most traditional jobs have been replaced by AI and automation, leaving many workers facing unemployment. The protagonist faces the same work crisis in 2050: struggling with a salary under 1000 per week, and deciding to transition into emotional work—a new and emerging career offering both challenges and potential in this future world.
Game Asset
Most traditional jobs have been replaced by AI and automation, leaving many workers facing unemployment. The protagonist faces the same work crisis in 2050: struggling with a salary under 1000 per week, and deciding to transition into emotional work—a new and emerging career offering both challenges and potential in this future world.
Final Display - One Day Demo
The game is developed using RPG Maker MV, a tool for creating 2D RPG experiences. I primarily utilized its map creation, event systems, database management, conditional branches, and scripting & plugins to build the core gameplay and interactions.
This demo showcases core gameplay, from the introduction to the first day's full narrative. It highlights how players interact with events, socializing, shopping, and resting, while emphasizing the game's key concept—how emotions impact income.
