ABSTRACT
Big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been increasingly discussed in the last few years, and are significantly influencing a number of disciplines. In parallel to that, the notion of ‘data’ is increasingly encountered in spatial, creative and cultural studies. Processes, methods and vocabularies from sciences are borrowed, discussed and tweaked, and new cross-disciplinary fields emerge. Several recent projects attempt to use data to map, measure and quantify the intangible; aspects of the human experience that were previously only addressed in a qualitative manner. This often demonstrates a genuine desire to comprehend human behaviour and human experience of different environments, and to – possibly – inform design processes accordingly. At the same time, this opens up questions as to why this desire and curiosity has emerged now, how it relates to recent technological advances and how it converses with the cultural and methodological context of the disciplines it engages. Questions are also raised as to how the use of data and data-informed methods may serve, support, promote and/or challenge political agendas.
