The AutSide Podcast

Episode 413: When Machines Become Mirrors—Autistic Imagination and Gatekeeping


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Today’s episode critiques how dominant culture polices marginalised creation, specifically focusing on the intersection of queerness, autism, and disability. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, uses the example of designing a dress with the AI tool Sora to discuss the backlash against non-traditional methods of creation, arguing that the criticism is rooted in fear of unfettered access and autonomy for those designated as “Other.” Dr. Hoerricks contrasts the analytic, compliance-driven structure of traditional design software with the gestalt, asynchronous temporality of the autistic mind, suggesting that AI tools like Sora can offer a more conversational and accessible creative process. Ultimately, she argues that gatekeeping and the deficit model of disability are mechanisms of control, insisting that the value of imagination is not determined by its adherence to established, sequential norms.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/when-machines-become-mirrors-on-autistic

Let me know what you think.

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The AutSide PodcastBy Jaime Hoerricks, PhD