Raimundo Hamilton Cruchaga
I study how visual artificial intelligence reshapes creativity, authorship and cultural representation, and I put that question into practice: how can a university adopt AI without giving up human creativity or its own cultural imagery?
Areas of work
Visual AI, creativity and authorship
My doctoral research examines how visual AI changes the creative experience of design students in Chile and Bolivia, and what becomes of authorship when the creative act turns into co-creation with the machine.
Cultural bias and visual hegemony
Generative models tend to make the image of the world uniform. I analyse how they reproduce cultural, gender and age stereotypes, and how design can resist that uniform gaze.
AI in the university
As Director of Educational Technologies, I lead the Universidad de Talca's strategy for locally hosted AI, with a focus on governance, data sovereignty and data protection.
Local AI and situated training
I create and deploy AI systems that run on an organisation's own infrastructure, without sending data to cloud services or third parties, such as those developed for the Universidad de Talca. I also work on situated training: adapting models to a specific cultural and territorial context to reduce bias and obtain relevant, appropriate responses. The approach applies to universities, public bodies and companies.
Biography
Raimundo Hamilton Cruchaga is a Chilean designer and researcher. He is Director of Educational Technologies at the Universidad de Talca, where he leads the creation and deployment of local artificial intelligence for teaching and administration: systems that run on the university's own infrastructure, without sending data to cloud services or third parties, with an emphasis on governance, data sovereignty and data protection. He co-founded the university's School of Design: he drew up its founding proposal in 2003, the School opened in 2004, and he has taught there ever since. He was its Director for two consecutive terms, from 2018 to 2022.
His doctoral research, undertaken in the PhD in Design at the Universidad de Palermo, examines how visual artificial intelligence transforms creativity, co-creation and the perception of authorship among design students in Chile and Bolivia, and how these systems reproduce cultural biases and visual hegemonies. Since 2022 he has experimented with generative AI in design education.
His career brings together technology, creative practice and culture. He holds a master's in Interactive Systems from MECAD/ESDi in Barcelona, undertaken with a Universidad de Talca scholarship, during which he completed a residency at Hangar, and his work was selected for the 8th Santiago Biennial of Video and New Media. He served as Regional Councillor for Culture in the Maule Region from 2012 to 2016 and has led territorial identity and heritage projects, including the collective brand Cencellada and Metamaule. He has given workshops on design for regional small businesses in Corfo programmes on behalf of the School of Design, and worked as an independent designer from 2001 to 2015. He holds a degree in Design from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Since 2004 he has taught courses in interaction design, physical computing, digital production and the final degree studio, among others, and has supervised more than 100 final degree projects. He has also taught on the Diploma in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Economics and Business.
Projects
Animaris Talquinus
A walking structure in laminated wood, built by staff and students of the School of Design from the plans released by the kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen. It walked the streets of Talca, without a motor, during the city's Spring Festival.
Cencellada, collective brand for Maule sparkling wines
Design direction of the collective brand of twelve Maule wineries, in a project led by the Wine and Vine Technology Centre and the School of Design of the Universidad de Talca, funded by the Regional Government's Innovation for Competitiveness Fund.
Sendero, short film
Technical producer of the short film directed by Théo Court, Andrés Bustamante and Manuel Muñoz.
Metamaule
Recording and dissemination of the tangible and intangible heritage of the Maule Region through virtual reality and 360-degree video.
Research and development projects
- 2014Wine authentication with electronic informationFONDEF IDeA CA13I10317 (2014–2016) and second stage (2016–2018). Principal investigator: Trung Pham. Role: lead designer of the devices. · 2014–2018
- 2014Impact damage detection service for blueberries and cherriesFONDEF VIU 130041. Principal investigator: Guillermina González. Role: lead designer of the impact-measuring device, an electronic blueberry. · 2014–2016 View
- 2013A device to build good postural habits in children aged 6 to 10Universidad de Talca Research Fund for Early-Career Researchers. Role: principal investigator, with Edgar Vogel as alternate. · 2013–2014
Publications
- 2026La máquina científica y el valor humano de crearHamilton Cruchaga, R. · Revista Tralka, (20), 16–19. Universidad de Talca
- 2024Espacios liminales: Análisis de la permeabilidad en el borde disciplinario a través de un diálogo entre Gold y BodenBeltrán Montalvo, A., Muñoz Reyes Benítez, C., & Hamilton Cruchaga, R. · Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios en Diseño y Comunicación, (226), 109–117
- 2024La sostenibilidad como condición fundamental para la innovación en diseñoMuñoz Reyes Benítez, C., Franck Tavares, G., & Hamilton Cruchaga, R. · Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios en Diseño y Comunicación, (225), 259–265
Awards and recognition
- 2026Comunicación que Inspira Award, for the App UTalca4th Growing in Community Innovation Forum, Banco Santander and the Digital Innovation Centre of the Universidad de Valparaíso, Valdivia. Awarded to the Universidad de Talca for developing micro-applications for App Campus, led by the Directorate of Educational Technologies. News
- 2020Good practice in transformative internationalisationCINDA and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, for the School of Design's Diseño sin Fronteras programme, Universidad de Talca.
- 2019Four awards at the Ibero-American Design Biennial, as project supervisorSendero project by Sebastián Figueroa and José Luis Díaz, including Best Industrial Design and Best Design for Sustainability.
- 2016First prizes at Atrévete a Emprender, as project supervisorTwo Design student projects he supervised won the first prizes in the social and commercial categories of the Universidad de Talca's entrepreneurship competition. The prize included a place at the UC Entrepreneurship Academy, University of California, Davis.
- 2014Best Lecturer, Diploma Programmes of the Faculty of Economics and BusinessUniversidad de Talca.
- 2007Selected work, 8th Santiago Biennial of Video and New MediaMobile-mobile, an interactive installation based on mobile phones, co-created with Jorge Hernández. Museum of Contemporary Art, Quinta Normal, and Santiago Metro. News
Press
- 2026Diario El Centro · 2026-09-28
- 2026AdPrensa · 2026-09-27
- 2026Mediabanco · 2026-09-27
- 2024Blog Winpy · 2024-11-06
- 2023Mediabanco · 2023-10-10
- 2023San Carlos Online · 2023-01-05
- 2022El Mostrador, Revista Jengibre · 2022-12-05
- 2022Diario Talca · 2022-12-04
- 2022UTalca apoya creación de nueva marca colectiva de espumantesEl Lector · 2022-12-04
- 2022Universidad de Talca · 2022-11-30
- 2021Facultad de Arquitectura, Arte y Diseño, Universidad Diego Portales · 2021-04-05
- 2018Maderas Prosperidad · 2018-08-06
- 2018Madera21, CORMA · 2018-04-26
- 2016Alumnos de Diseño ganan concurso “Atrévete a Emprender”Universidad de Talca, Sala de Prensa · 2016-07-05
- 2013Mujeres del secano costero emprenden con creatividadLa Prensa, Curicó · 2013-02-11
- 2012Profesor Raimundo Hamilton integró Consejo Regional de la Cultura hasta 2016Universidad de Talca, Sala de Prensa · 2012-06-26
- 2007Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile · 2007-10-01
Selected talks
- 2026UpcomingThe sustainability of the cultural imageIA Forum, International Design Week, Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires · 24–25 November
- 2026From Socrates to Pope Leo XIV (the human and the artificial)Conectando Inteligencias seminar on AI in education, O'Higgins Regional Ministry of Education, Red Futuro Técnico and Universidad de Talca, San Fernando
- 2026Local AI and digital transformation in universities2nd Meeting of the University Digital Transformation Network, CINDA / UOC, Barcelona
- 2026Visual AI and design: co-creation or tool?Talk, workshops and faculty discussion on AI, visuality and design, Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, La Paz
- 2024Implementing AI projects in ChileWinpy round table with academics and industry specialists, Santiago
- 2024Liminal spaces: permeability at the disciplinary border9th International Colloquium of Design Researchers, Universidad de Palermo
- 2023The uniform gaze: Hegemony and prejudices in visual artificial intelligencesWilson School of Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canada (online)
- 2023The uniform gaze (Spanish edition): hegemony and prejudice in visual AIHorizonte Creativo international seminar, Universidad de Talca
- 2021Round table: Teaching and territoryRegional Design Forum, Chilean Association of Design Companies (Chile Diseño)
- 2014Design at the Universidad de Talca: rural impactCitylab, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago
- 2013In support of the bill creating the Ministry of Culture and the ArtsNational Culture Convention, National Council for Culture and the Arts, Iquique
- 2011Design studio projects and a development plan for the community of El MalliWith Manuel Ardiles and Carol Amaro. 6th National and 4th International Meeting on Education for Social Responsibility, Universidad de Concepción
- 2011The Universidad de Talca School of Design: a curriculum with an emphasis on regional identitySouthern Macro-zone Meeting, National Council for Culture and the Arts, Termas de Quinamávida
Education
- PhD in DesignUniversidad de Palermo, Argentina · 2023–in progress
- Màster Internacional de Disseny Gràfic en Sistemes InteractiusMECAD / ESDi, Barcelona · 2006 · Matrícula de Honor (highest distinction)
- Professional degree in DesignPontificia Universidad Católica de Chile · 2003 · Highest distinction
- UC Entrepreneurship AcademyUniversity of California, Davis · 2012 and 2016 (the second with the student winners of Atrévete a Emprender)
Academic service
- Regional Editorial Board, Revista Cero no. 1, Universidad Diego Portales (2022)
- Peer reviewer, Revista Chilena de Diseño RChD, Universidad de Chile (2018)
- Regional Councillor for Culture, Maule Region (2012–2016)
- Committee on Environment, Infrastructure and Sustainable Procurement, Faculty of Architecture, Music and Design, Universidad de Talca (2024–2026)