Learning about AI

Learning about AI could be a little difficult, even more so if we are getting older quickly while technologies are improving daily. Fortunately, nowadays there are a lot of people willing to help us understand its development. In this opportunity, we will talk about how Google’s employees work every day to provide users with a good experience by using AI-powered products.

Then, how to adapt us to a world mediated by AI?

First of all, it is important to know that we don’t need to be experts or programmers by profession. In fact, Google’s team shows us that their aim is to assure us, at least at a basic level, how AI works and how it impacts our lives, especially those little details that matter to us, so that we can be prepared for future situations related to it.

To do so, Google is trying to design an early literacy program in which technological subjects are treated in both primary and secondary education in order to have an appropriate environment to gradually become involved with these tools without being saturated with information because, as Patrick Gage, Head of Research Strategy on Google’s Trust & Safety team, said, “AI education and literacy should be incorporated into the entire user journey and built continuously throughout a person’s life.” 

That’s why Google insists on responsible design since trying to explain AI system is so complex that it is necessary for designers to think not only about the way in which their products will be used but also about the user’s learning and appropriation. Certainly, many professionals are working on that. However, it is still difficult to find the most complete strategy for practitioners to study all the moments and ways they can help people understand how AI operates.

But how are Google’s collaborators working to improve explanations of AI?

In order to incentivize workers, Google has implemented the AI Principles to guide responsible technology development as well as incorporated some resources that can be reviewed by them so that they learn creative ways to add AI explainability in their products, such as the ethical case studies in the PAIR Guidebook, aiming to consider tricky issues whose solving explanations could be improved.

On the other hand, the team is always trying to present digital content that people can interact with to learn more about how they perceive AI and what values or features they would like AI-powered products to embody since they consider it fundamental to analyze customer experience.

Moreover, as a result of their research, they have discovered that most AI practitioners prefer concrete examples of good explanations on which they can be based. Thus, Google’s team is working on a story-driven visual design toolkit for explanations of a fictional AI app, which will be publicly available so any teams in startups and tech companies everywhere can prioritize explainability in their work.

I am an AI-user and I want to learn more about it. Where should I start?

Well, Google is a company that cares about everyone. For that reason, it has released “Discover AI in Daily Life,” an Applied Digital Skills lesson, perfect for you to get started on how we interact with AI every day.  Lastly, they have announced that, at their upcoming conference, they will likely talk more about AI explainability. Thus, if you’re interested in the topic, stay tuned for updates.