Design & AI Symposium 2023

Bleecker is also the founder of OMATA, a company that designs and manufactures high-precision cycling computers. In addition to his work as an entrepreneur, Bleecker is also a researcher and academic, and has published numerous articles and papers on design, technology, and innovation.

Bleecker is perhaps most well-known for his work as the originator of the concept of Design Fiction, a term he coined to describe the use of speculative design as a means of exploring and shaping the future. He has written extensively on the subject, and has published a book on the topic titled "The Manual of Design Fiction."

Throughout his career, Bleecker has been recognized for his innovative and influential work, and has received numerous awards and accolades. He continues to be an influential voice in the fields of design, technology, and innovation, and is known for his forward-thinking approach and commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Since 2015, Baptiste has been a senior researcher then consultant at Mogees ltd. He is involved in an European endeavour studying the use of AI in the Creative and Cultural sectors. Finally, He is collaborating on art projects, being an associate member of the Fronte Vaccuo collective.

Cristina's research is committed to developing methods, tools, and technology that support societal transitions towards futures of justice, care, and solidarity between communities, nature, and artificial agents. Cristina focuses on developing methodology inspired by design research that can support societal transitions through transdisciplinarity, considered a value-driven, pluralistic approach that promotes emergent embodied social learning between communities to tackle societal challenges and bring out social change.Her research's main fields of application are societal challenges related (health)care and technology, the future of work in times of automation and digitalization, health-transitions and technology.

With colleagues at DesignLab of the University of Twente, she co-develops Responsible Futuring, a transdisciplinary approach to tackle societal challenges with academic and non-academic communities. To this end, Cristina merges critical theories, speculative and post-human/more-than-human design, creating methods and tools to make thoughts, ideas, and reflexivity from concrete to tangible through visual scenarios and prototypes and, in so doing, challenging status-quo. 

Cristina also leads the Social Justice and AI networks, a Dutch network of academics, students, and activists committed to mitigating and overcoming the dehumanizing and oppressive effects of AI and embodied AI technology and fostering social and environmental justice.

Her award-winning work has received many accolades, including the NWO Science Prince for DEI initiatives (2022), the Dutch High Education Award (2022), and the Google Women Techmaker Award and scholarship (2018). She is regularly invited as a speaker at events (e.g., TEDx), symposia, and international conferences. Cristina regularly publishes papers in top-tier conference venues (CHI conference, HRI conference, DIS, CSCW conference) and is heavily involved in academic service for ACM SIGCHI and Design Research Society.

Currently pursuing a Marie-Curie PhD fellowship through the DCODE Network, Grace's research centres on cultural and political dimensions of AI, advocating for queer orientations in the design and use of predictive systems. Grace is also a core member of Becoming, a design futures and research studio that envisions and enacts transitions towards more livable and democratic worlds. Her work has been featured at the Porto Design Biennale, Telefonica Foundation Madrid, PRIMER New York, the World Futures Congress in Mexico City and TEDx Sydney.