Robot as self, blurred boundaries, and the auxthetic mind-body: A speculative design through poetry
by Lux Miranda, Ginevra Castellano, and Katie Winkle
Department of Information Technology
Uppsala University, Sweden
Abstract - We present the concept of the auxthetic mind-body (AM): a system which extends the human mind and body to include robot bodies, artificial “thoughts,” and artificial feelings as part of the perception of “self.” While human-robot interaction research has long grappled with embodiment, the AM represents an as-yet unexplored space in this realm, raising a host of questions around its uses, consequences, and preservation of human agency. We explore the concept through speculative sociotechnical design, foregrounding how the technology might make us feel (rather than what it might do) as a guiding foundation for further development. Through poetry and marginalia, we invite readers to reflect on what it might mean to think, feel, and be with an AM. In doing so, we sketch both technical possibility and a future worth longing for—one where the dissolution of the human-machine boundary is not so frightening, but grounded and meaningful.