Workshop: Design x AI
Exploring the Symbiosis Between People & Technology
Thursday, October 24, 2019 | 1:30 – 5:00 pm
Beacon Hill
Each period of scientific revolution and shift in technology has been accommodated by new design methodologies to satisfy the needs of the populace. We’ve recently entered into an exciting
shift in technology, one led by developments in AI, that has brought with it new questions around ethics, reliability, safety and trustworthiness. While these questions will be addressed among many disciplines, it’s the role of the designer
to interpret and translate the answers of the day to the end user.
This workshop presents a forum for design practitioners, thought leaders and audience participants to discuss the design challenges that AI presents and possible strategies to move us forward.
You’ll walk away with a better understanding of:
- The current state of AI and how it compares to mainstream expectations
- The importance of placing the user at the center of the design process
- The challenge of incorporating design thinking and methods into your process (and why it’s worth it)
- Design principles and methods for making AI more useful, usable and trusted
Chair: Paul Chang, Director of Design, SRI International
1:30 Welcome Introduction
Paul Chang, Director of Design, SRI International
1:35 The State of AI
Karen Myers, Lab Director, Artificial Intelligence Center, SRI International
The promise of AI is exciting but how does the current state of the art stack up against this promise? What are the potential pitfalls that we as customers and users should be aware of and what is the industry doing to bridge the gap between our expectations
and current reality?
1:55 Human-centered AI
Paul
Chang, Director of Design, SRI International
Why now? What’s changed? While we place our trust in technology everyday with AI, we’re starting to receive recommendations by machines. As a result, our perceived risks, whether real or imagined, raise new questions that must be answered
before we feel comfortable using these systems: Does the system value the same things that I do? How does it make decisions? Am I safe?
2:10 Making Design Inroads
Design thinking has been shown to provide organizations with a competitive advantage. It should be no different for AI-based products and services. But are there nuances with AI that present unique challenges to designers within their organizations? Hear
the experiences and insights from design practitioners, each with a unique perspective, on the challenges they’ve faced.
Speakers:
Chris Kucharczyk, PhD, Senior Designer & Data Scientist, IDEO
Maria Chercoles, Senior Service Designer, Designit
Kevin Walsh, Product Group Lead, Artificial Intelligence, HubSpot
Activity: 30 Futures in 30 Minutes
Using design prototypes to explore the future of AI
We invite members of the audience to participate in an optional hands-on design activity that will take place during the one-hour Expo break. Here’s what to expect:
Data and AI are reshaping how organizations work. This brings many possibilities but also presents new challenges. Organizations need to plan ahead in order to stay relevant in the near future. How can companies adapt to a future they can’t predict? In this workshop, we’ll use prototyping as a tool to extrapolate possible futures that are tangible. We’ll teach participants to leverage human drivers and ideate on possible solutions using lo-fi prototypes. After the workshop, participants can recreate the process, sparking conversations for their own tangible futures.
Facilitators:
Maria Chercoles, Senior Service Designer, Designit
Raghavendra (Rag) Kandala, Senior Service Designer, Designit
3:20 – 4:05 Networking Break in the Expo (Commonwealth Hall)
4:05 Panel: Building Trust
Moderator: Paul Chang, Director of Design, SRI International
Panelists:
Chris Kucharczyk, PhD, Senior Designer & Data Scientist, IDEO
Maria Chercoles, Senior Service Designer, Designit
Kevin Walsh, Product Group Lead, Artificial Intelligence, HubSpot
We backdrop this discussion with the question: How might we design intelligent systems that inspire trust? We then invite the audience to spark discussion by suggesting topics around trust building and AI.
4:50 Workshop Wrap up
Paul Chang, Director of Design, SRI International
5:00 Workshop Concludes