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

Myers_KarenKaren 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

Chang_PaulPaul 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:

Kucharczyk_ChrisChris Kucharczyk, PhD, Senior Designer & Data Scientist, IDEO


Chercoles_MariaMaria 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

Chang_PaulModerator: Paul Chang, Director of Design, SRI International


Panelists:

Kucharczyk_ChrisChris Kucharczyk, PhD, Senior Designer & Data Scientist, IDEO


Chercoles_MariaMaria 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