Reflection 1

Admittedly, I started this class as an AI rookie. Meaning, I had no idea how often I utilize AI in my everyday life. For example, I just used AI to help me spell ‘admittedly’ through my computer’s spell check. This was the first realization I had when I began reading Big Data Big Design. Helen Armstrong explained how much data we create every single day; data that was not really being used before machine learning started to pick up more and more. All of this “useless” data is now being deemed useful through AI organizing it into information that can characterize us as individual people. This organized data and machine understanding of who we are as people leads to algorithms and predictions, things that make so many decisions for us on the daily.

Sketches for my toy.

I liked her analogy of comparing machine learning to a child in the sense that it only knows what it learns based on historical data, or whatever you show it. Without providing it with any new data, all of its predictions and algorithms will only represent your old data and examples. This helped me understand AI and it’s impact on my use with it… Now I can understand that AI isn’t reading my brain, it’s showing me certain things based off what I have interacted with in the past. Even though I now become incredibly frustrated when my phone autocorrects “lol” to “LOL” right before I hit send on a text (making it seem like I am yelling or exaggerating how funny I found something when I instead wanted to come off as nonchalant or sarcastic…) I realize that I did indeed go through an extensive phase of texting “LOL” with pure genuinity to all of my friends when I first got my phone. “LOL” is what my phone thinks I actually want to say because it has characterized me as a cringey teenager through my past data. That’s ok for now I suppose, but I really do think it’s time for it to change its predictions for my own mental sanity…

Just like AI constantly absorbing new information based on what it’s presented with, we as designers are learning to do the same. I’ll admit that AI has been a triggering topic for me because I fear it taking away future opportunities for me as a creative, a designer, and a rookie at that. The Race To Control AI reminded me that I am not alone in this fear, which is why people in my career path are hesitant to push boundaries with it. However, BDBD is teaching me that I must adapt, because if I don’t, I will be left behind. John Zimmerman explained that the design field will continue to reinvent itself based on whatever challenge it’s faced with. I have to carry that mindset into my career and last couple months of school because with a new challenge, such as AI, comes a whole new slew of opportunities and paths to go down. A point of view I especially enjoyed was Joanna Pena-Bickley’s; she aims to invent devices that focus on un-tethering humans from their devices and instead invent something that makes you be more present, such as utilizing sound with AI instead of having to always read something on your phone. Using AI to avoid a screened-in world sounds like the kind of usage I would willingly invite! There is nothing more bothersome to me than when I walk on campus and almost run in to several people because they are so locked in to their phone while walking (I’m not claiming to have never been the culprit of this as well…) I think the world could benefit greatly from more intentions like these, because if even the head of OpenAI is fearful of the negative impact AI could have on the world, I think we need to set some sort of moral high ground.

Early building and design process of the prototype.

I must say that all of the readings, podcasts, and articles have not erased my fear of large scale AI and it’s quick growth. As I read the “This Week in AI” newsletters, I learned that President Trump has already gotten rid of President Biden’s AI executive order, which included several regulatory requirements, including mandates to share safety test results of AI usage and invention. Although no further action has been taken, it appears that Trump will take a much lighter approach to AI regulation, which I must say I disagree with. The Race To Control AI honed in on the suggestion that we create strong regulation in order to establish an ethical foundation of AI that can overall prevent human extinction. I fear a country that does not have strong regulations on something like this! Monetary and investment gain being prioritized over human and planet safety is a tale as old as time. But this time, the stakes are high. We have to be the ones to protect humanity!

Lastly, this past week I have been working on my Praxis Inquiry 1, beginning with building a $10 toy. Inspired by a mix of a memory and accessibility, my toy aims to provide strength building, mobility, and fun through the use of hand fidgeting. I struggled at first to craft a toy based on the wide range of materials at the store, but I went with my gut and allowed the idea to take form once I found the kernel of inspiration. Ironically, my toy is designed as a robot. I am still exploring where I will be able to use AI in this project but I am excited to see where else the toy goes!