A Manifesto for Other-Than-Human Imaginaries of Data (DIS)

Data is crucial for shaping and imaging economic, social, and technological structures, mainly in Western industrialised contexts. However, it also triggers social, cultural, and ecological concerns and inequities like data colonialism and data extractivism. In this provocation, we unweave the hegemonic trends of data and data practices, which generate capitalist and anthropocentric knowledge and narrow socio-technological imaginaries. We suggest alternative approaches to spin new data threads that might enable us to include alternative epistemologies and knowledges, other-than-human communities and entities, aiming for worlds where the focus is on the good life of all, rather than just enhancing humanity. We also address the significance of means-oriented design practice for exploring these challenging spaces and engaging with more researchers and practitioners in HCI to reweave plural worlds.