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Ethics and Design in the Age of AI
About This Talk
The possibilities of AI have captivated our collective imagination. From writing poems and songs, to analyzing medical data and recommending the best treatment plan, to predicting when complex machinery will need maintenance, AI has the potential to dramatically improve how we live and work.
But when looking for ways to apply this cutting-edge, revolutionary technology, we must be clear-eyed about the potential to help as well as harm. Remember, AI is still in the early stages of development. The only values it possesses are the ones we teach it. As designers, we have a responsibility to align this technology to our purpose and intentions, and teach it what we value.
Designing for AI requires new considerations and new ways of thinking. We must focus our design talents on a new type of relationship with machines—one that is far more dynamic than ever before. What should these relationships look like? How might we take an ethical approach to create the best experiences with AI? And what role does design thinking have in helping us design for AI?
Speaker
Katrina Alcorn
Previously GM Design · IBM
Katrina Alcorn is a design executive and award-winning author. She has built two highly successful design practices in her 20+ years in the tech industry. The first was the UX practice at Hot Studio, a boutique agency in San Francisco (bought by Facebook in 2013). The second was at Autodesk, where she centralized the digital design teams and drove a 5x increase in global e-commerce, and measurable improvements in customer satisfaction.
Most recently, Katrina led one of the world’s largest design practices at IBM. IBM’s 3,000+ designers create software, hardware, brand, and web experiences powered by AI and used by millions worldwide. Under Katrina’s leadership, IBM Design drove major improvements to customer satisfaction and won a record number of product design awards.
Katrina is also the author of an award-winning book, “Maxed Out: American Moms on the Brink,” about the challenges mothers face in the workplace, and she’s an advocate for workplace culture that supports the reality of modern-day families.