Anqi Bao

Biography

Anqi Bao is a PhD candidate at the University of the Arts London in the College of Communication, working at the intersection of media studies, design research, and environmental humanities. Her practice-based research investigates the environmental footprint of Generative AI in visual content creation, with a focus on the UK advertising industry. She holds an MSc in Service Design Innovation from Loughborough University and a BEng in Product Design and Manufacture from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Prior to her doctoral studies, she taught for two years in the Visual Communication Design program at the Institute of Creativity and Innovation, Xiamen University.

Anqi’s study is informed by more-than-human design theory and systems thinking and employs data physicalisation as a method to render abstract socio-ecological relations tangible. Her current project aims to develop interactive prototypes that enable creative practitioners to sense and negotiate the non-human agencies involved in AI-assisted production, fostering a more reciprocal and accountable creative practice. She is committed to cross-disciplinary dialogue and eager to engage with scholars and artists exploring the implications of new technologies for our understanding of perception, agency, and anthropocentrism.