Addictive digital experiences: the influence of artificial intelligence and more-than-human design

Due to the novel design paradigm brought about by artificial intelligence (AI), addictive technology is becoming more common and harder to resist. In order to counterbalance the rise of technological addiction, an effort should be made by all the actors involved in the complex world of addictive digital experiences. This paper focuses on the role of designers. It is based on a literature review on addiction to digital experiences based on the evolution of human–machine interactions, highlighting challenges brought by AI within the emerging "more-than-human" perspective. The introduction of a systemic perspective that considers new meeting points between datasets and algorithms can help designers understand how their products can lead to addiction and how addiction is created in the context of "AI factories". By reinforcing their ethical approach and treating AI as a design material, UX designers can become the bearers of a more responsible mindset and re-humanize addictive technology.