Tales of Design | 8 takeaways to understand Human-Centered AI

We were thrilled to host yet another Tales of Design session on the intersection of AI and UX. Our Speaker, Mr Sajid Saiyed, Head of Design at Vianai Systems Inc. and distinguished Google and SAP alumnus shed light on the evolution of human-centered AI. Along with sharing how he developed his expertise to create outstanding products, he also shared his learnings and insights on effectively integrating AI and ML into UX. 

Here are 8 key takeaways from his session to understand human-centered AI: 

1. 1. AI will amplify and augment human capabilities, not replace humans. 
      The idea is to enable everyone to work more efficiently and effectively. By leveraging AI appropriately, humans can free themselves from menial and repetitive tasks to focus on innovative and creative work. Empower yourself with the benefits of AI to improve society as a whole.  

2. 2. Designers need to make informed judgement on when to use AI in designs. 
      It is crucial to assess whether or not to use AI in design. AI should use available resources to provide solutions that align with the design goals. Consider factors like problem complexity, skilled personnel, and high-quality data to train AI algorithms and make informed decisions. If the available resources are insufficient to train AI, it will deliver poor results.  

3. 3. Understand your data. 
      AI is most effective with data-intensive inputs. Therefore, you must understand your data to derive meaningful insights, and train the AI algorithms. If you can’t derive meaning from data, or the data quality is poor, you can’t expect AI to deliver effective solutions.  

4. 4. Develop or adopt an AI design toolkit. 
      Creating a comprehensive AI design toolkit and having the knowledge to understand the nuances of AI development can streamline the development processes and ensure effective implementation of AI tools. These tools can include AI design framework, data management tools, user experience testing tools, machine learning algorithms and more.  

5. 5. Cross-functional creative collaboration and user feedback. 
      Cross-functional collaboration and creativity help different teams and departments to share their expertise in creating the best possible product. It can enable you to create aesthetically pleasing products that meet user requirements. To enhance the products further, incorporating user feedback is essential. User feedback fosters innovation and helps designers refine their designs quickly to make them user centric.  

6. 6. Be flexible and learn to make trade-offs. 
      When designing a product, there can be several competing factors like usability, functionality, aesthetics, cost-effectiveness, time to market, etc. Being adaptable and deciding the best course of action ensure long-term success. To be flexible while designing user experience doesn’t mean to compromise on the quality or functionality; it means to prioritise and allocate resources effectively. In this way, one can create products that meet the requirements of the target audience.   

7. 7. Be inclusive and ethical while incorporating AI. 
      Incorporating AI into user experience requires a thoughtful approach. Designers must consider how the AI system will impact different user groups. It is crucial to design solutions while considering potential biases and mitigating them. It will ensure fairness and inclusivity while creating effective and responsible products.  

8. 8. Get involved at a deeper level. 
      Using AI to improve UX is more than just understanding and utilising technology. Designers must gain a more profound understanding of user needs and their challenges. By immersing yourself in the user experience, you can evaluate AI-powered UX solutions and address pain points to enhance overall user experience.