Design for Entropy : Active Inference and Technology
Overview
How active inference and the free energy principle transform our understanding of technology and design. Design for Entropy offers a bold rethinking of human-technology relations by bringing active inference and the Free Energy Principle--leading frameworks in neuroscience and cognitive science--into dialogue with design theory, as well as the sociology and psychology of technology. Luca Possati argues that any artifact--any technology--can be understood as a network of predictions and predictive models about human behavior and its environment. The active inference agent is, by definition, a technological agent--one whose survival and adaptation depend on the ability to construct, reshape, and inhabit a predictive niche. This perspective opens the door to a new approach for addressing foundational questions about design and the role of technology in social groups and the psychological dynamics of human-technology interaction. Through in-depth case studies--covering smartphones, adaptive robotics, and smart cities--Possati introduces the Designer-Artifact-User (DAU) software model, an active inference-based tool for UX design. He also confronts psychological and social challenges, including digital addiction, depression, affective modulation, and the role of technology in mentalizing.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9780262056267
- ISBN-10: 0262056267
- Publisher: MIT Press
- Publish Date: September 2026
- Dimensions: 8.91 x 5.92 x 0.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 0.65 pounds
- Page Count: 246
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