Worlding More than Human Worlds with AI Companions

In the face of the Anthropocene crisis—a time marked by ecological instability, technological upheaval, and deeply entangled social, cultural, and relational complexities—how might we imagine alternative futures beyond anthropocentrism? This exhibition presents the outcomes of a studio-based course that invited students—or rather, young artists as how I prefer to call them—from the 1st-year postgraduate cohort in IND to stay with the trouble, as Donna Haraway urges, and to engage in speculative design through the lens of worlding: the ongoing, relational act of making and remaking worlds.

Treating generative AI as a companion species—not merely a tool, but a co-creative partner—these artists were tasked with envisioning More-than-Human futures. Their work challenges dominant narratives of control, efficiency, and sustainability by proposing intricate ecologies of coexistence, tension, and transformation. Blending research, critical theory, and visual storytelling, each project explores speculative possibilities that reflect the entangled realities of our time. The works take the form of AI-generated postcard series, storyboards, and short storytelling videos, each constructing a distinct More-than-Human world. Together, they embody a diversity of speculative visions that reach beyond anthropocentrism:

TOWER OF BABEL, by Hua Zhong and Shiman Wu, constructs a multi-species interstellar narrative chronicling the rise and fall of cooperation between humans and alien life. Through a metaphorical reimagining of the Tower of Babel, the project reflects on cognitive dissonance, technological alienation, and the collapse of trust in the face of shared resources—posing urgent questions about civilization, peace, and the fragility of coexistence.

Sands of Power, by Wanke Zhang and Xiaoyang Chen, explores a desertified future shaped by climate extremes and ecological imbalance. In this world, plants, animals, robots, and humans coexist uneasily. Through AI-generated imagery, the project imagines tensions and unlikely alliances among species, prompting reflections on responsibility, excess, and the precariousness of planetary systems.

SYRA, by Yian Tang and Wenxiao Zhu, presents a biotechnological future where genetic modification blurs the boundary between nature and machine. Using AI to visualize speculative lifeforms and synthetic environments, the project delves into ethical dilemmas, identity crises, and the double-edged nature of progress—where innovation offers both salvation and peril. It invites us to reconsider the essence of life and the moral consequences of unchecked intervention.

Project Serum, by Xianyue Zhu and Yiran Ma, immerses viewers in an oceanic future shaped by decentralization. Featuring humans, whales, and robots as equal narrative agents, the project challenges hierarchical models of Earth stewardship. Here, generative AI shapes not only the visual world but also the narrative logic—proposing a horizontal coexistence where no species claims dominion.

These creative endeavors reflect a collective and critical engagement with AI as a companion in the speculative design process. Through worlding practices, these young minds chart diverse trajectories beyond anthropocentric paradigms, reminding us that futures are not fixed endpoints—but ongoing negotiations of kinship, conflict, and care.

As you journey through these More-than-Human worlds, we invite you to question, reflect, and perhaps begin to imagine your own response to the troubles of our time.