Explore how creators repurposing tech and drawing on Solarpunk imagination are sparking creativity in TikTok’s new cyberdeck wave.

The state of technology right now, including the overreliance on AI, its environmental impact and general lack of affordability has left most of us tech lovers feeling broken. But a pushback is coming from an unlikely source: TikTok creators building their own Cyberdecks which in short are just custom built computers. It’s especially exciting to see women leading the charge.

For all those on Cyberdeck TikTok the first person that springs to mind is probably Ubeboobey. Her mermaid Cyberdeck is both compact and functional. There are so many others too like Evettesniche, her inventions span from Cyberdecks to a whimsical koi pond guitar. Women are now at the forefront of this movement and many of these builds feel like something straight out of Solarpunk science fiction or Totally Spies. Think Polly Pocket, lunchbox, or purse shaped computers and some creators repurposing old technology from the Y2K era. Not just for its bright, metallic aesthetic but for its availability and retro utopian optimism.

Repurposing old tech is also a form of political pushback, an indirect act of resistance against surveillance culture and the environmental harm caused by AI. And you don’t have to splurge on new equipment. You can thrift, buy secondhand, or even hit up a junkyard if you have the energy. I remember when a coursemate and I took part in a Robot Wars project at uni. One of the first things we did was scrounge for parts in a junkyard. It turned out to be a goldmine. We found high torque motors, coil springs and various pieces of scrap metal for the robot frame. Later welding together the robot chassis and soldering key components as needed, even decorating it with pink spray paint and glitter. A fun chaotic activity done offline between friends. Most importantly, we didn’t blow holes in our pockets as broke students.

This new cyberdeck wave has got me thinking about how it offers a way to engage with technology without being consumed by it in our chronically digital world. Allowing tinkerers to be more present and intentional with their projects. Technology and AI can definitely help automate boring tasks and honestly, around the time generative AI first started gaining traction most of us kind of expected it to be used for that. Instead, we got Google Glasses, Grok and large AI data centers drastically impacting the global water usage.

In an ideal world, if AI wasn’t causing so much environmental harm, I would have no issue using it as an assistant for admin or tedious tasks. But it’s becoming a crutch for too many people with some relying on it heavily to produce all their creative work. This absolutely defeats the purpose of creating in the first place. The best part of making something has always been the process: being intentional, experimenting and feeling that sense of achievement once it’s done. It becomes an extension of you. It’s impossible to feel the same fulfilment or value in something produced by AI.

On a separate but connected issue, the wider scope of tech consumption also has a human cost. Many of the materials in our everyday electronics come from the eastern part of Congo in Central Africa. This includes coltan, which is used in capacitors, as well as tin, tungsten, gold and cobalt. The global demand for these resources drives exploitation including child labour and widespread violence and control over mining sites often finances armed groups. It is a complex issue with no easy solution. However, small actions can still make a difference. Spreading awareness, supporting ethical supply chain reforms, recycling electronics and buying refurbished instead.

I’ve been in the game for over seven years, working as an engineer in the semiconductor industry. Cyberdecks are slightly outside my day to day but tinkering has always been one of my main hobbies. I love building with microcontrollers and working on electronic hobby projects. This movement has a special is central to my values sitting alongside broader interests like raising awareness around overconsumption, AI and the conflict mineral crisis.

For too long, the industry has been dominated by tech bro culture and it’s about time women got more involved. I really recommend checking out some of these Tiktok cyberdeck creators if you have any interest in this space. Especially if you have a creative streak and an interest in building fun STEAM projects. I say STEAM deliberately because I believe the arts have a rightful place in that acronym. The interdisciplinary integration of art is more than just aesthetics; it encourages curiosity, experimentation and cultivates meaning from creative levels.

To wrap up, I am not just an engineer. I’m also an artist, a writer and an activist. I’ve always tried to break away from the stereotype of the boring, methodical, soulless engineer and instead bridge the gap between technology and art. Seeing women pioneer this wave of cyberdecks has inspired me to jump on the bandwagon myself.

So grab a Raspberry Pi or preferred development board and start tinkering. Do it for the environment, for the matriarchy, for creativity and maybe as a small act of resistance against AI.