PinnedMember-onlyThe wicked problem of white liberalismDoes the whiteness of progressivism exclude Black people? — On April 19, 2021, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of 2nd degree murder, 3rd degree murder, and manslaughter. It begins to offer justice for George Floyd’s murder. The wicked problem of white progressivism and liberalism is as pervasive as ever. I began writing “Wicked Liberalism” in 2015, when Tony Robinson…George Floyd10 min readGeorge Floyd10 min read
Published inThe AI and Culture Festival 2020 | Curated by Carnegie Mellon students·Mar 18, 2020AI & CultureCarnegie Mellon University, School of Design, Prof. Molly Wright Steenson, Spring 2020 — There’s so much talk about AI. It’s all over pop culture, whether in tv, film, books, sci-fi, music, games, and internet memes. Yet the term “artificial intelligence” has been in use since 1955 and “robot” since 1920. …AI10 min readAI10 min read
Published inElemental·Feb 10, 2020Member-onlyAn Open Letter to My Hot FlashesPlease go away and never come back — Dear Hot Flashes, I was about to give a talk to 1,500 people at a conference. And then, there you were. You showed up and you didn’t mess around. You heated me up. And you didn’t stop. You kept at it, all right. …Menopause3 min readMenopause3 min read
Jan 15, 2020AI & Society | Spring 2020 | SyllabusProfessor Molly Wright Steenson | Carnegie Mellon University School of Design — How does AI impact society? How do artificial intelligence and algorithmic technologies impact society? In this class, we will will look at how AI and its related paradigms affect the way that we live. In this seven-week class, we’ll be reading, writing, watching, sharing, creating, debating, talking with experts, and more. We’ll explore a number…AI11 min readAI11 min read
Published inGEN·Sep 8, 2019Member-onlyMedia Lab’s Storied History of Courting the Rich and PowerfulHow a tight-knit group of elites shaped the Media Lab — This is a story about courting money from power. It’s about how the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab was founded and funded, by whom, and how. It’s a story about Nicholas Negroponte before it was about Joi Ito and Jeffrey Epstein. …Tech5 min readTech5 min read
Published inThe context and impact of interaction design·Aug 26, 2019Syllabus: Interaction and Service Design Concepts, Fall 2019Seminar One (51–701) | School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University | Professor Molly Wright Steenson, PhD | TA, Hajira Qazi — The context and impact of (interaction) design “Digital design cannot operate outside its social context because files, systems and media only gain meaning as part of a community’s practice.” —Arturo Escobar, Designs for the Pluriverse, p. 41 Design is everywhere, and everyone knows it. But if that’s the case, then what’s the role of the designer? Where…Design23 min readDesign23 min read
Jan 14, 2019Design for Service SyllabusCarnegie Mellon School of Design, Spring 2019 — Professor Molly Wright Steenson & TA Ulu Mills We all have an idea of what a good service is — when everything clicks into place, when you feel a little surprised and delighted because of the thoughtfulness and smoothness. And we know too well what it’s like when a service goes wrong: unempowered agents at the airport when…Design13 min readDesign13 min read
Oct 21, 2018AI & Culture: Buildings, Cities (and Infrastructures, and Beyond…)Carnegie Mellon School of Design, Prof. Molly Wright Steenson, Fall 2018 (second mini) — We’ve long heard a lot about smart: smart homes, smart cities, smart grids, and more. It’s blowing up even more, with a lot of talk about AI these days. It’s all over pop culture, whether in tv, film, books, sci-fi, music, games, and internet memes. What might we learn from…Smart Cities13 min readSmart Cities13 min read
Aug 27, 2018AI & Culture: Bodies & CyborgsCarnegie Mellon School of Design, Prof. Molly Wright Steenson, Fall 2018 — There’s a lot of talk about AI these days. It’s all over pop culture, whether in tv, film, books, sci-fi, music, games, and internet memes. Yet the term “artificial intelligence” has been in use since 1955 and “robot” since 1920. What might we learn from looking at the pop culture…Design10 min readDesign10 min read
Aug 26, 2018Syllabus: Interaction and Service Design Concepts, 2018Seminar One (51–701) | School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University | Professor Molly Wright Steenson, PhD — Tools to Think With* What is interaction, what is design, where did these notions come from, and where are they going? This seminar aims to give us tools to think with* (the with on the end is a dangling preposition, I realize) in the form of readings, discussions and activities. Through this grounding, you…Design15 min readDesign15 min read
