Habitual Instinct challenges the predefined expectations participants hold with their relationship to technology and data by exposing anthropomorphic projections onto autonomous systems. The role Habitual Instinct has with its participants is to instigate continual reflection after participants leave the installation and interact with technology in their day-to-day activities. By creating a speculative scenario that is counter-intuitive to everyday experiences with interactive technology, the installation helps participants identify themes and behaviours that have become habitual by acknowledging the effect surrounding their experience and potential feelings. Recurring themes that materialize during interaction with the artwork include: challenging the status quo on how technology acknowledges and responds to interactions; autonomous systems and “alien agency”; digital data collection; connection between the self and digital representation through data visualizations; and data transparency and user privacy. These themes promote an open discussion surrounding their relationship with the power structure between society and corporate or governmental interest.

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