Opti-pessimism: Design, AI, and our uncertain future

Artificial intelligence leads to uncertain outcomes. What does this mean for our approach to product design?

Some days, it feels as if we’ve awakened in the early scenes of a Terminator film. Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere: on the news, in our phones, even in our light bulbs. With each new product claiming “smart” behavior, we sacrifice another sliver of control over the world around us in exchange for what we hope will be a more frictionless life.