Abstract

This article examines sociotechnical imaginaries of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) through the cultural lens of the film Barbie. The hyperreal setting of Barbieland serves as a prescient metaphor for education in an increasingly synthetic world where the real and artificial converge. By analysing representations of artificiality and authenticity in the film, I argue that similar cultural assumptions and anxieties shape how GenAI is understood and implemented in education. The Barbie doll’s transformation from plastic figure to ‘real’ human raises questions about embodiment and identity that parallel debates about human-machine relationships in learning environments. Drawing on concepts of simulacra and agential realism, I explore how narratives of technological empowerment influence educational practice. By juxtaposing Western-centric views of Barbie with Indigenous perspectives, particularly Ellen van Neerven’s ‘Water’, the article critiques dominant cultural narratives about technology and intelligence. This comparison challenges commercial imaginaries of technological empowerment and suggests more diverse, culturally responsive approaches are needed to integrate GenAI in education.