Design students from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg explored possible futures of human–machine coexistence in a hands-on workshop. The workshop approached the future of technology not as a question of optimization or problem-solving, but as an opportunity to imagine positive and desirable ways of living with machines. Instead of asking what problems technology could solve, participants explored a different question: What kinds of lives do we want to live in 2046, and what role might machines play in supporting them?

The workshop encouraged participants to move beyond purely technical perspectives and focus on human experiences, needs, and values. At the same time, the scenarios revealed tensions, contradictions, and ethical questions that arise when designing relationships between humans and machines.

By combining creative making, storytelling, and critical reflection, the workshop created a space to explore not only what future technologies could do, but what futures we might actually want to create.

Photos: Andreas Muxel