Imagining the future: LLMs, Generative AI and future experiences.
Notes from our first Learned services Breakfast
At Projects by IF we’ve been pushing past generative AI chatbots and productivity tools and catapulting ourselves into possible futures to understand how generative AI can support new experiences. Most importantly, what will be needed to ensure these experiences are trustworthy.
At IF we call this new paradigm Learned services. In this open document we shared some thinking on the future of generative AI in product and service design. Learned services revolutionise user experiences by integrating features and steps from various organisations. Instead of just generating text or images, we think LLMs/GenAI can learn from user input to craft entirely new services, combining components & propositions.
As part of this exercise, last week we put together a group of like-minded people who have interesting perspectives and experiences in this space, to help push our thinking. These are some of the people that are helping deliver the future: we had people from policy, customer experience, data, design, product, strategy from some of the most interesting product and service providers out there — from e- commerce to media, from transportation to social media. We mingled, we had breakfast and we talked about how to responsibly build this future.
Here’s an overview of the key topics we touched upon in our conversation. If you want to join one of our upcoming Learned Services breakfast in London or Seattle — get in touch at hello@projectsbyif.com.
Rethinking organisational interaction
Traditionally, the way an organisation interacted with its users is often a reflection of its organisational chart. Now, with LLMs & genAI integrated into platforms, a shift is underway. Services are being seamlessly woven together, blurring traditional boundaries. And Learned services don’t just blur internal boundaries, they also cross organisational boundaries. Learned services are a great opportunity for organisations to design and deliver an experience that can help users navigate multiple organisations and systems. And offer truly customised experiences.
Beyond traditional product management
Digital product management is evolving (see the debate that Airbnb ignited when announcing the end of their product management function.) Traditional vertical product ownership and silos are no longer the norm. Capability managers are now needed, and their role is all about collaboration and combining different experience elements to meet user needs. The emphasis is on the integration of various technologies to allow a more cohesive, end-to-end view of how a service is offered. Traditional product boundaries will be taken down and it will only be accelerated by the emergence of Learned services.
Data hygiene and maintenance
As companies started playing with Gen AI and LLMs, a hard truth became reality: the king is naked. The good and the bad get exposed — even that old policy someone forgot about or some forgotten datasets no one maintains anymore. LLMs and GenAI are not taking away the need for good data hygiene, but organisations need to maintain data in a way that will help meet future user needs and deliver the next generation of experiences.
Trust, personalisation and feedback loops
People are naturally inclined to believe what LLMs and chatbots say. It might be because of their assertive tone of voice or their attitude to perform “mansplaining as a service” (as Adah Parris brilliantly refers to them). But ensuring trustworthy Learned services involves addressing feedback loops. Openness, transparency, participation and aligning AI-driven personalisation with user values are vital for the success of Learned services.
Navigating the messiness
Embracing LLMs and GenAI means navigating the messy reality of human affairs. Ethicists are starting to play a vital role in this, and their presence in the Time AI 100 list is commendable. But this role shouldn’t be left to a single team (or person): it is a shared responsibility. Product, design and delivery teams need to play a role. And as leaders in this space, making sure these tools don’t reinforce existing power structures is critical.
Empowering CEOs to imagine the future
In this liminal space of innovation, imagining the possibilities and understanding their implications is the cornerstone of success. Ultimately it is the responsibility of boards and leadership to make the conditions possible for organisations to imagine and experiment what Learned services mean for them. Engaging in this exercise early will enable companies to shape informed opinions and gain a strategic understanding of LLMs/Gen AI (instead of deferring it to others and being forced into decisions when AI products saturate the market). This means having clarity on how to build internal capability, launch new products/services/learned services, learn with users and unlock new markets. If you can’t imagine the future, it will happen to you.
If you are ready to imagine this future, gain a strategic understanding of LLMs/Gen AI together and unlock the possibilities of Learned services — get in touch at hello@projectsbyif.com
