Week 11 Notes

Written for Interaction Design Seminar taught by Molly Wright Steenson at Carnegie Mellon University

It was interesting to read the Machine Bias piece after the cognitive bias one, because I definitely have a bias against the overuse of technology and AI! I’m always skeptical about its effectiveness and impacts, even when the intentions are good. The idea of reducing the number of inmates by using risk assessments seems on the surface to be a worthwhile effort, but the long-term impact of AI is not always predictable. The fact that AI decided the fate of two young girls with their entire lives ahead of them feels so unfair.

I really liked the “Another Lens” series of questions; they tied in nicely with the cognitive bias cheat sheet in helping us to challenge our beliefs and assumptions.

A good number of the Cognitive Biases mentioned stem from information overload, something I have been thinking about a lot lately. In trying to absorb everything, I end up interpreting and assuming a lot, but really knowing very little. Maybe meditation will help to quiet the constant stream of inputs and help me focus more effectively.

Key quotes from the video:

• “Anyone can experience disability when the design the environment, the attitude, the social structure excludes them from participating and from performing at their optimum.” [Does disability = disadvantage?]
• “Diversity is our world’s greatest asset, and inclusion is our biggest challenge.” — I was really struck by this. Being in design school makes me miss diversity. Moreover, being with all designers in the MDes program this year makes me miss diversity even more, as I feel we’re all primed to act and think in a certain way. The MA cohort was quite different in their attitude/approach to design, and I really miss that.