The Cure For Loneliness
Charlotte Lomas
Loneliness is a powerful and confusing emotion that most people can have difficulty processing, especially as a result of this pandemic. People have often done crazy things in an attempt to ‘cure’ the feeling of loneliness as they spend extended periods of time in isolation. Exploring the ethical boundaries surrounding AI, how far are we willing to go to find our perfect companion and what do the qualities we seek in others say about ourselves?
Corps (pronounced core) is a grow-your-own friend, managed from an app in your phone. Inspired by the little 2000’s gag gifts given as a joke to those considered "lonely." This hypothetical company specializes in AI robotics creating endless possibilities in what defines companionship; with all elements of your friend customizable to your liking. This project focuses on each persons complex needs in our relationships and our own human need for interaction and connection. In a new era of speed dating apps and reality television shows, is the future of compatibility matching and relationships artificial?
Corps questions the human experience and what drives our need to be close to one another in a time where it is nearly impossible. It reimagines what intimacy and closeness can look like in a world without "human" contact. Through its simplistic and warm design, it invites us to explore our deepest human desires when seeking in others what we need from ourselves.