The Algorithm of Mourning – Designing Futures Between Commercialized and State-Regulated Grief AI
B.A. thesis & project by:
Mariia Orr
Project Categories:
New Media, Tangible Interaction, Exhibition Design
Thesis Advisors
Prof. Henrik Rieß, Prof. Alexander Tibus
Project Advisors:
Prof. Henrik Rieß, Felix Müller, M.A.
Research Question:
What if in 2100 grief is managed by AI in a society struggling for survival in the face of climate change and demographic pressure?
As climate change drives displacement, loss, and instability, grief is becoming more frequent and multi-layered – while globalization and digitalization erode the relevance and accessibility of traditional mourning practices. 'The Algorithm of Mourning' imagines how societies in 2100 might respond by outsourcing grief to artificial intelligence, staged across two divergent scenarios: one shaped by American individualism and commercialized self-care, the other by Chinese collectivism and state-guided ritual.
Using speculative design, two videos give form to these imagined futures. Both centre on an AI-supported memory reconstruction that unfolds during sleep, visualised through a TouchDesigner animation projected onto a pillow in the American setting. The Chinese scenario introduces a Joss paper offering ritual, drawn from culturally specific insights gathered in a qualitative survey with Chinese participants. Each video's visual content was generated with region-specific AI tools – Kling AI for the Chinese future, MidJourney and Runway AI for the American.
Together, the two prototypes explore how grief might be reshaped through technological mediation, raising critical questions about agency, authenticity, and the future of ritual.
Scenario #1: USA
Scenario #2: China
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