Speculative Stuff
2023 - 2024 Student Works

* The intellectual property rights of each work are owned by each student.

[SUBRAIN Co.]  Thinking Delegation Service














JUNGMIN KIM






The world has always progressed in a more efficient direction, and we firmly believe that efficiency equates to something good. Many people believe that efficiency will bring about a better life, but is that really the case? While we have been able to accomplish more tasks quickly with the help of various products and services, the amount of work and expectations placed upon us has also increased.

Alternatively, as we entrust everything to machines that are far more efficient than humans, the tasks we perform ourselves are becoming increasingly superficial and simplistic. We now delegate tasks to AI, and even the selection of videos we want to watch is done by algorithms. The pressure and stress are increasing, but the act of thinking for ourselves is decreasing, creating a paradoxical situation filled with efficiency omnipotence. It is necessary to consider whether we are losing many things in the obsession with efficiency.

In the society of 2043, where efficiency has become the highest value, a virtual company called SUBRAIN Co. is established. SUBRAIN Co. offers a service where you can entrust your thoughts to AI, even during your sleep, allowing you to utilize your thoughts 24 hours a day. Would you like to experience SUBRAIN’s service?

“Don’t waste one-third of your life in sleep anymore. Let SUBRAIN be your sub-brain and help you make use of the full 24 hours.We provide a subscription service where you can entrust your thoughts to AI based on EEG information and user-provided data. With just one initial thought assessment process by SUBRAIN, you can receive daily thoughts tailored to your real-time EEG data and assessment results.

From everyday mundane actions to complex tasks, you can choose a plan based on the complexity of your thoughts. Upon subscribing to a plan, you will receive a SUBRAIN kit. It includes the main device for measuring EEG during sleep and transmitting them to our data center, an NFC tag for security and licensing purposes, and a QR card for accessing overall introduction of the company and guides.”

[Excerpt from the official website of SUBRAIN Co.]




2023





Speculative Stuff



Speculative Stuff documents the design works of Yonsei University's Integrated Design undergraduate students, showcasing South Korea's first speculative design course. Led by Hyunjae Daniel Shin (Assistant Professor) and Eun Sun Park (Lecturer), our 16-week program blends theoretical lectures, interactive workshops, and practical exercises.

This course aims to foster the ability to understand and speculate about macro and micro changes in technology, culture, society, and the environment through everyday products and services in future contexts. By using future scenarios, comedy techniques, and preposterous worldbuilding, students develop a critical perspective on alternative futures.