"Design fiction aims to explore and criticize possible futures by creating speculative, and often provocative, scenarios narrated through designed artifacts"
Dunne, Anthony; Raby, Fiona (2013). Speculative Everything
This design fiction explores a futuristic scenario concerning current staff shortages in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, many establishments have reported challenges with hiring employees and staffing shifts. This model plays on the importance of "servant culture" in today's society. It depicts a modern dining space where in a social experiment, artificial intelligence takes precedence in the traditional dining experience.
This design fiction is not intended to be a forecast of the future but rather a tool to prompt conversation relating to the following questions:
- What does the future holds for the food and hospitality industries when considering the current staffing crisis?
- What is the social importance of dining in our culture and how can AI replicate and/or replace it?
- How does dining play into the idea of servant culture in today's society?
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