HCI and Digital Twins - A Critical Look: A Literature Review.

Digital twins (DTs) are one form of datafication. They are virtual reflections of physical world entities, of objects and phenomena, and are rapidly becoming an asset for innovation. There is a growing body of literature on DTs in various technology-related fields. A critical thread has emerged within this body, warning on the danger to forget that the digital part is always only a partial representation of real life, and that this partiality is always selective and biased for a specific purpose. It may thus serve some group of stakeholders better than others. We contribute with a literature review on the current understanding and use of the DT concept in the field of HCI. Our results consolidate the current understanding of DTs’ potential in HCI and note the omission of the critical perspective within the reviewed literature. The paper opens discussion of what HCI can bring to DT development and use.