Transformative technologies
2024–
Jaana Okulov, Teppo Vesikukka, Yu Tian
The Transformative Technologies project investigates transformative experiences by combining quantitative approaches with artistic research. The findings of this multidisciplinary project and the methods developed within it will establish the foundation for a development and research center focused on transformative technologies.
By transformative technologies, we refer to future perceptual technologies that expand human perceptual abilities and interpretive repertoire. Changes in perception play a critical role in social interactions; for example, rage can narrow the field of vision, leading to a greater tendency to perceive the other as an object, thereby reducing the potential for dialogue. Previous studies have also linked rigid thinking to extreme political views and polarization. Human perceptual ability is not a static state but one open to change, and it is a skill that can be developed to enrich one’s experience of the world. We believe perceptual technologies can enhance human integrity and cognitive diversity.
The project is grounded in dynamic systems theory, which suggests that individual changes, such as reorganized perception, can have broader societal impacts. However, there is a lack of systematic research across multidisciplinary fields on the role of perception in shaping individual, social, and political thought structures. This project seeks to address three key questions through multidisciplinary research designs: 1) What perceptual changes are central to transformative experiences? 2) What does transformative experience look like on individual, interpersonal, and societal levels? 3) What technologies can support integrity and cognitive diversity through perception?
Our project aims to lay the groundwork for a new multidisciplinary research community and development center, with a mission to create ethically sustainable transformative technologies that embrace the diversity of society.