CN17 - Beyond black boxes: tackling artificial intelligence as a design material

Conveners: Aisling Kelliher, Barbara Barry, Joanna Berzowska, Nora O’Murchú, & Alan Smeaton

The growth and development of artificial intelligence is fast becoming a powerful influence in the global economy and society overall. While advancements in AI are successfully reshaping many transactional contexts such as image search and purchase recommendations, the progression of this technology is somewhat slower in contexts that involve multidimensional experiences aimed at advancing human intelligence and the overall human condition. Issues of transparency, ethics, bias, and privacy are more and more emerging as topics of public debate, while the ultimate role of accountability, responsibility, and eventual consequence still requires some interrogative work. In this Conversation, we examine AI as a formative material to design with, often requiring a nuanced, pragmatic, or indeed skeptical mindset. We will use examples from our experiences in digital healthcare, smart textiles, and curatorial practice to seed a wider discussion about the form, function, and promise of AI in design practice.

Click here for full Conversation details.