Design Concept: Scaffolding Geopolitical Reflection Among Tech Workers
This paper proposes an AI-enabled interactive narrative system designed to foster geopolitical reflexivity among tech workers by engaging them in speculative scenarios and socially scaffolded reflections, thereby helping them critically examine their assumptions and positionality within broader sociotechnical systems without relying on prescriptive moralizing.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Imagine a world where the people building the digital tools we use every day are like the architects of a giant, invisible city. For a long time, we thought these architects only cared about making their buildings fast, pretty, or profitable. But recently, scientists in a field called Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) have started noticing something surprising: these tech workers are actually holding the keys to how countries interact with each other. It turns out that when a tech company decides how to build an artificial intelligence, they aren't just writing code; they are making choices that ripple out to affect wars, borders, and global power. The big question is: how do we get these busy architects to stop and think about the massive, global consequences of their blueprints? This paper suggests that the answer might not be a boring lecture or a strict rulebook, but rather a playful, story-based game that helps them see the world through a new lens.
The paper, titled "Design Concept: Scaffolding Geopolitical Reflection Among Tech Workers," proposes a new kind of interactive tool designed specifically for the employees of major technology companies. The author, Sydney Reis, argues that while we have many ways to talk about "Responsible AI" (making sure AI is safe and fair), we often miss the biggest picture: geopolitics. This is the study of how power, territory, and politics mix with technology. The paper suggests that tech workers are often swept up in exciting stories told by their bosses—like "we are in a race to beat other countries" or "our technology is the only thing that can save democracy." These stories, or "narratives," can make workers feel like they are just following orders, without realizing they are actually shaping international conflicts.
To fix this, the paper doesn't propose a new law or a moralizing checklist. Instead, it designs a speculative, AI-powered interactive narrative system. Think of it as a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book, but for grown-ups who build technology. In this digital story, users step into a fictional scenario involving power and technology, but without using real countries or real names to keep things safe and open-ended. As the user makes choices, the story changes around them. The system uses AI to react to their decisions and eventually assigns them an "archetype"—a character type based on historical leaders and technologists, complete with a unique avatar and a description of their strengths and weaknesses.
The core idea is that by playing through these stories, workers can practice "reflexivity." This is a fancy word for taking a step back to ask, "Why did I make that choice? What values was I following? How does my job fit into the bigger world?" The paper suggests that this kind of reflection is best done in a group, like a workshop, where coworkers can discuss the archetypes they received and debate whether they agree with the assignment. The goal isn't to tell them they are "bad" or "good," but to help them realize that their daily decisions have weight.
The paper is careful to note that this is a proposal, not a finished product that has been tested yet. The author suggests that this approach could be a productive way to introduce complex geopolitical thinking without being preachy or boring. However, the paper also admits there are risks. For instance, some workers might feel judged by their coworkers during the workshop, or they might feel the tool is pushing a specific political agenda. The design tries to avoid this by ensuring every character archetype has both strengths and weaknesses, so no one feels like a villain.
Ultimately, this paper suggests that if we want technology to be safer and more ethical, we need to help the people building it understand the stories they are living in. By using a playful, story-driven tool, we might be able to help tech workers see that they are not just cogs in a machine, but active players in a global game where their choices matter. The paper concludes that while we don't know for sure if this will work perfectly, it offers a promising new path to get people thinking deeply about the future of our digital world.
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