Austin Prasad Final Game Project
The following was a statement given by scientists when they released the Empathy Chip:
"The world has rapidly changed. The year is 2115. Ever since the water wars narrowed down the population 45 years ago, things have been different. With fewer problems around population, it is time to focus on social justice. Design in many industries has rapidly changed from being all about profit to being about advancing society. When the water war happened it was the worst war the world had seen. Every country on every continent was fighting for the liquid of life. Communities turned on each other, friends became enemies; even family became competition, all in the name of survival. When we first tried to rebuild the planet, there was so much diversity between us and that will never change. But no longer will we live in inequality.
I am happy to say what I am about to unveil something today, which will change the way we are able to understand one another. The inspiration for this project comes from readings that date back over a hundred years ago. I am sure that we have all felt the pressure of the world on our shoulders now since we have started to rebuild. Everyone has to have a job and purpose. I didn’t know what mine was but then I found inspiration in an article called Speculative Everything by Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby. Although this article is 102 years old I find it so applicable to the rebuilding of earth.
“Using design to open up all sorts of possibilities that can be discussed, debated, and used to collectively define a preferable future for a given group of people: from companies, to cities, to societies. Designers should not define futures for everyone else but working with experts, including ethicists, political scientists, economists, and so on, generate futures that act as catalysts for public debate and discussion about the kinds of futures people really want.”[1] This is one quote that inspired me. What can we do with design in order to make the kinds of futures we really want? I thought about the future I want for the progressive world order. I thought about how bad the past was before the water wars in terms of social justice. 100 years ago there was no understanding of fellow mankind. As Audrey Lorde put it “Racism and homophobia are real conditions of all our lives in this place and time. I urge each one of us here to reach down into that deep place of knowledge inside herself and touch that terror and loathing of any difference that lives there. See whose face it wears.”[2] I see some of these same problems today. It is time to see the diverse faces amongst us, and work together towards understanding.
For years cultural studies scholars tried to teach all of us about difference. By reading people could work to understand other peoples lives and try to empathize with them and value them as human beings. This worked on some levels but not everyone was willing. People tried to make social movements via social media and protest. Others tried to make art. We must turn to technology to change our future so we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. At this point our planet needs to rebuild. Mankind must understand each other and reading is not enough. Not everyone is willing to be taught. That is why we have created a device that will show you others struggles and experiences. I present to you the future of our society: The Empathy Chip. This device will be implanted on everyone in our society and will be programmed by each and every single one of you. You may choose your life experiences to implant into the EC. We cannot decide the entirety of what you chose to put in the device, it is not intended to be like biometrics, the EC will not label you as a person. Instead you will encrypt your stories within it. This is not meant to share your deepest darkest secrets, but your struggles to be understood in a society that is in ruins. No longer will people be persecuted for their sexuality, race, religion, disabilities, gender or class. Everyone who tries to refuse this device will be shunned out of our society, because by refusing the EC, you are refusing social progress. I encourage everyone to think about what the world is like out there, beyond our walls, before making that decision. You will not survive.
Once the chip is implanted everyone will have one month to encrypt it by switching it to the program mode and narrating in their head the stories that they would like to be shared with the people they meet. The device will activate when you meet a new person and lock eyes. The data will transfer at rapid speeds and you will know them on an entirely new level. You will understand them and their struggles to be accepted. You will empathize with them. This will help us to move on from the judgmental oppressive skeletons of our societies past. By understanding one another we will not fight like we used to because of difference. We hope that the Empathy Chip will deliver us insurmountable progress in a new world. Welcome friends, to a new age of mankind, the age of the EC and progress. Sincerely, the progressive world order."
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[1] Dunne, Anthony., Project Muse, and Raby, Fiona. Speculative Everything Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT, 2013. Print. UPCC Book Collections on Project MUSE.
[2] Lorde, Audre. “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.” 1984. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Ed. Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press. 110-114. 2007. Print.
