R&D: Navigating Imaginaries of DNA-Based Digital Storage

ACM Digital Libray has published, in CHI ’22: Proceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, an article written by Raphael Kim, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, UK, Conor Linehan, School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland, and Larissa Pschetz, Design Informatics and Product Design, School of Design, University of Edinburgh, UK.

Abstract: “DNA-based digital data storage technology is hailed as a potential solution for the issues around exponential global data production. However, while the technology continues to strive towards its full commercialization, there is a lack of discourse on how it could be applied to facilitate interactions that are meaningful, ethical, and socially sustainable. As an approach to address this gap, we hosted a series of online workshops, soliciting 15 participants to engage in grounded speculations on plausible futures of DNA data storage. Themes drawn from the resulting imaginaries and discussions were situated within a selection of existing HCI literature, to generate an initial set of design opportunities and challenges for DNA data storage. Early analysis suggests that the system could be designed to 1) facilitate meaningful interactions that are intangible and molecular, and 2) foster better human relationship with more-than-human entities. Furthermore, we highlight the imperative for cross-disciplinary collaborations and pedagogy, to ensure fair and high quality access to the technology.“