Balancing Optimism and Caution in Tech Ethics

In this episode of Product Momentum, Patricia Reiners chats with Paul Gebel and Brian Loughner (a Lead UX Designer at ITX); during the conversation, she tackles three critical topics that UX designers should consider when thinking about how best to interact with AI in their daily work, in their careers, and in their role as ethical humans.

About Patricia. In addition to hosting the Future of UX podcast, Patricia Reiners is a distinguished UX innovator and a prominent voice in the field of user experience. Based in Zurich, she works to develop advanced UX methodologies in emerging technologies like AI, focusing on future UX design industry trends.

How do human skills compare with AI capabilities?

AI can analyze content, generate ideas, and present options far faster that humans can, Patricia says. But it lacks the creative spark, personal judgment, and sense of empathy that only humans possess. Creativity involves emotional intelligence through lived experiences that AI cannot replicate – even with the best training. “Those are uniquely human traits that are critical in tech, particularly in leadership roles where you’re working with people.”

AI tools also lack the ability to perform critical thinking and demonstrate sound judgment, which Patricia says is “a super-important skill – especially for designers.” Unlike humans, she continues, AI struggles with making complex decisions that involve ethical considerations and subjective judgments. Designers often draw on research to make informed decisions based on values, principles, and context.

As a UX designer, how can I prepare for my future with AI?

Remember that AI is a tool, Patricia advises. “So, designers should get their hands dirty with AI and learn to collaborate with these tools so that we can better understand how they can make our work easier. When we understand their limitations and leverage them to improve our work, we become better designers.”

Dive into AI, she continues. “It’s so new, and things are changing all the time. AI works best when it augments our human abilities,” Patricia advises. “So, look for ways to integrate AI into your workflows to enhance your productivity.” Patricia also recommends that fellow designers join a UX meetup [like Upstate UX Meetup] to learn from others about the latest trends and technologies, and be willing to share your challenges and your knowledge with others.

How can I make sure the AI tools I use are ethical, protect PII, and are free of bias?

As John Maeda explained during his podcast episode, “We often forget that accepting the bad with the good is a theme of every new technology story.” That is, we understand that AI – like every new technology – is no panacea for all that ails the world. But we cannot discard them because they are flawed.

With respect to ethical considerations in AI, Patricia says that designers should do their best to find and use AI models that are trained with unbiased data. In the interim, she adds, “advocate for ethical practices; develop strategies for using AI before building products that might have been trained using questionable data.” And perhaps most importantly, Patricia says, “designers need to speak up to ask the tough questions about the quality of data AI tools have been trained on and where personal data (used by AI systems) are stored.”

Special thanks to Patricia Reiners for sharing her expert insights in this podcast episode, and especially for delivering an amazing workshop at ITX’s 2024 Product + Design Conference. Unable to attend this year? Check out what you missed!

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