Smarter Repair 2053

Abstract

In 2023 the European Union enacted the right-to-repair for European citizens which was undoubtedly a step forward in tackling planned obsolescence and the deluge of electronic product waste being produced at that time. An expansion of the right-to-repair to include smart devices occurred in 2035 acknowledging their increased proliferation as everyday products and services. However, these rights-to-repair did not result in creating a capacity for repair such that consumers were both willing and able to avail themselves of this right. To address this challenge technologists extended the infusion of datafication and Artificial Intelligence within smart products–resulting in the Right-to-Repair being granted to the devices themselves in 2045. This paper reviews this transition which resulted in both decreasing electronic product waste, increased device longevity, and extending the development of an aesthetic of repair into more products and services.