Jingyu Xu

The advent of the posthuman era has blurred the boundary between the body and artifacts. Further, external materials and information are more deeply integrated into the body, making emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI), a key driving force for shaping posthuman existence and promoting bodily evolution. Based on this, this study analyses the transformation process of three technological forms, namely tools, machines, and cyborgs, and reveals the construction of bodies and artifacts. From the phenomenological perspective, the essences of body and artifact existences are reflected upon, and the ‘existence is construction’ viewpoint is proposed. Furthermore, a technological design concept, ‘bodioid’, is proposed to meticulously depict the characteristics of integrating similarities and differences toward unity between the body and artifacts, based on the theoretical foundation of technological mediation and the materialization of morality. Finally, through analogising the organizational form of language, the two key forms and specific mechanisms of ‘bodioid’ construction, namely ‘extension’ and ‘mirroring’, are indicated. Moreover, the posthuman existence landscape is discussed to provide theoretical insights into the study of the underlying philosophical principles of technological design.