Description: 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.Review Quotes: ENDORSEMENTS
"This application of the free energy principle to design and technology is bold and compelling. The author ties together many contemporary threads--from philosophy, theoretical biology, and statistical physics--with remarkable and convincing alacrity."--Karl J. Friston, Professor, University College London; coauthor of Active Inference "Luca Possati's Design for Entropy is a timely and deep addition to the growing literature on the free energy principle. This landmark contribution is emblematic of the field's recent evolution, and exemplifies the key pivot from using the free energy principle as an explanatory lens to wielding it as generative design principle. A delightful and informative read."
--Maxwell J. D. Ramstead, Cofounder, Noumenal Labs; Honorary Research Fellow, University College London "In this fascinating and important monograph, Luca Possati makes innovative use of the free energy principle and active inference to propose a unified framework for making sense of human-technology interactions and of design practices. This is a timely and provocative theory of design in the age of intelligent machines."
--Julian Kiverstein, Senior Researcher at the Lemon Tree Center; Assistant Professor, University of Amsterdam; coauthor of Extended Consciousness and Predicative Processing "Luca Possati's book provides a commendably novel insight into technology, through the psychological lens of active inference theory, by focusing on how practical inventions and tools are not only developed but also appreciated by their users."
--Michael J. Walker, Professor Emeritus, University of Murcia; coauthor of Early Evolution of Human Memory "Luca Possati's introduction to the Bayesian brain and active inference is lucid yet welcoming; his concept of design affording an asynchronous encounter of minds between maker and user feels ingenious and timely given AI's surge in today's technological moment."
--Héctor Marín Manrique, Professor in Developmental Psychology, University of Zaragoza; coauthor of Early Evolution of Human Memory "Innovative and timely, Design for Entropy offers a fascinating resource for philosophers of technology, cognitive science, and society alike. Anyone intrigued by the long reach of active inference should read this book."
--Stephen Francis Mann, Postdoctoral researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology