Interaction 23 for the AI Curious
Without a doubt, tools and processes powered by artificial intelligence in various states like DALL-E, ChatGPT, or Midjourney are the hottest and most controversial topic of the new year (and were for the last one). Come with us on a journey at this year’s Interaction 23 and engage in the conversation: will AI take our jobs? Will robot designers still wear thick black-framed glasses and turtlenecks? And does ChatGPT actually mind writing up all that nonsense?
It’s time to get serious. We need to embrace new technologies, not ignore them, carefully reviewing their application and use with a critical eye instead of holding on to pre-determined opinions.
Over the course of Interaction 23, you’ll find many talks and discussions touching on shaping, using, and evaluating artificial intelligence in the field of interaction design. Be part of the conversation.
Here are some of the talks I am looking forward to attending:
On Wed, 1 Mar 2023 at 10:20
Design Thinking and AI: The new frontier for designing human-centered AI solutions, by Martin Böckle
In this brief morning session (15 minutes) Martin aims to highlight the anatomy of the artificial intelligence design process by connecting the AI and Design Thinking community. An initial framework will show how AI solutions are being developed in a human-centered way.
More from Martin himself on his presentation can be watched here.
On Wed, 1 Mar 2023 •10:40
Future Dualities: A framework for exploring what’s next and generating hybrid futures with AI ,by Lasse Underbjerg, Eden Dotan
Eden and Lasse, both working at Designit, will share findings from their research with thinkers and creators from diverse disciplines, across the world, to get a deeper and wider perspective on the possibilities and pitfalls ahead. In their talk, they will introduce you to five overarching Dualities through which we can discover, explore, and discuss potential futures.
Bridging the themes of futurism and artificial intelligence tools, Eden and Lasse have built a free online tool to augment human creativity and predict the future with AI — and they’ll even give this away to try out as well.
On Wed, 1 Mar 2023 •11:45
Equipping designers to design for AI at IBM, by Christopher Noessel
Chris is undoubtedly one of the veterans exploring the implications of automation, machine learning, and AI for the work of designers. In this talk, he’ll elaborate on his work at IBM where they try to equip every designer around the world at the company with what they need to design for this newest, most promising, and most terrifying of all new tools. Expect some real-world learning and entertaining anecdotes from the very frontline of technology and methodology.
On Wed, 1 Mar 2023 •12:25
Design Ethics for Sustainable AI By Jana Thompson
Jana Thompson takes a different spin on the AI theme, looking into the ecological impact of these products themselves. Her talk addresses how including design from the beginning of development, one can use design research and impact assessments to look at the ecological impact for long-term AI sustainability.
And if you still want more, day two brings more interesting speakers on stage. My recommendation would be to at least sneak in at:
On Thu, 2 Mar 2023 •14:00
Designing Ethical AI: Principles & Examples in Digital Experiences
by Johanny Pestalozzi
Johanny Pestalozzi holds a Ph.D. with a specialization in Technological Risk Perception & Risk Governance from the University of Hohenheim in Germany brings an ethical perspective to the discussion. In her session, she will analyze common principles for designing ethical AI applications and will explore examples from the web integrating these principles in AI products. You’ll get the opportunity to discuss the examples and identify opportunities for improvement.
On Thu, 2 Mar 2023 •10:20
Human-AI Collaboration in the Emergency Room By Pontus Wärnestål
And in case you want to get a level deeper into concrete applications of AI-based design, Pontus’ talk might be just right for you. This talk is a hands-on case study of how human-centered design approaches can help bridge the gap between what AI can do. Using human-centered design methodologies for AI-powered triage technology in an Emergency Room context, Pontus and the team designed for nurses’ skill enhancement, faster and better triage, and a better patient experience — with AI. The talk will conclude with five general challenges (and opportunities) that designers face when adopting AI as a design material.
There is of course more — and I believe most of this year’s presentations will touch on AI in some way, shape, or form. What’s most important is that you don’t miss the opportunity to discuss and refine your points of view on the future tools of our industry during this Interaction Week. At the end of the day, that’s what we all come together for.
Thomas Küber started his career at Fraunhofer research in the 2000s, worked up and down the design industry in Europe, Asia and the US, to come back to Berlin/Germany where he co-founded the boutique design studio Futur2. He focuses on helping corporations and communities to embed design strategies that enable not only economic growth but generate genuine value for real people.
