Ep38. Human-Centered A.I. & Empathy: Why Designing for Extreme Use Cases and Not Just the Average Uplifts All with UC Digital Futures Alejandro Lozano Robledo

Growing up in the traffic-clogged streets of Bogotá, Colombia, Alejandro Lozano Robledo has long been fascinated by the untapped potential of our cities to uplift everyone, especially the most marginalized. Today, he leads research on autonomy, smart cities, the shared economy, A.I., and transit-oriented development using human-centered design as the Director of Future Mobility Design Lab and Research Associate at UC Digital Futures in addition to being a Mobility Systems Design Professor at the University of Cincinnati.

Epitomizing that the future is collaborative, Alejandro partners with researchers across disciplines like aerospace engineering and urban planning to reimagine the future. He collaborates with industry partners like Boeing, government partners like the Department of Transportation, and non-profits like Uptown Consortium on innovative proposals that use mobility to improve quality of life.

Since 2018, Alejandro has taught Industrial Design at DAAP, leading the Mobility Systems Design program since 2020. He partners with companies like Gravity Sketch to develop new virtual and augmented reality workflows for design education. With over 6 patents and an International Crystal Cabin Award, Alejandro has presented his research nationally and internationally.

In today’s conversation, you’ll discover how empathy is key for human-centered A.I. and the necessity of having a vision for what’s possible. We also discuss the importance of the year 2040 related to paradigm-shifting megatrends, Alejandro’s future projection method, inspiration from the fictional city of Wakanda as an example of the rising Solar Punk movement, and our evolution to Techno Sapiens. Alejandro also shares the importance of keeping humans at the center of critical, societal decisions, especially as A.I. plays an increasingly assistive role in all facets of our lives. Finally, he discusses why we need to design emerging technologies, including A.I., for extreme use cases, not just the average. 

What can the future look like if we make the right decisions now? Listen in to find out!

EPISODE SHOW NOTES https://creativitysquared.com/podcast/ep-38-alejandro-lozano-robledo-human-centered-a-i-empathy/

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