ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A RESEARCH TOOL FOR CONSTRUCTING UNDERSTANDING OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS: A CASE STUDY OF THE EDUCATIONAL ECOSYSTEM

Understanding that the products, spaces and services we design are part of a complex system is crucial for successful decision-making. The challenge to propose sustainable, adaptable, and responsible design solutions requires designers to have holistic comprehension of the system they are intervening. By analysing the relationships between its components and the internal and external factors that impact the system, designers can develop strategies to address both immediate needs and long-term implications. This research explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to facilitate the understanding of complex systems and inform decision-making in design practice. AI’s capacity to process vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and simulate scenarios across different levels of abstraction allows students to comprehend system’s dynamics and optimize their design proposals. The paper discusses a project implemented in an interior design course, with the educational ecosystem selected as a case study due to its inherent complexity, societal impact, and potential for transformation. The giga mapping technique was used as an inquiry and visualization tool. AI aided students to cluster and classify the gathered information, identify relationships and critical nodes, forecast potential outcomes and simulate emergent behaviours within the system. As a result, students not only gained a deeper understanding of the educational ecosystem, but also enhanced their digital literacy, systems thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. By challenging the status quo, they were empowered to explore new possibilities, and envision potential futures for the educational landscape.