Humanizing User Experience Through AI
Sumit Sheth is a creative professional with over 19 years of experience in IT industry with extensive knowledge in designing user experience solutions for digital and interactive products, UX design consultant, project manager, usability analyst, information architect, interaction designer, and UI designer for numerous projects spanning from web-based applications, client server applications, portal, websites and mobile applicationWhether we are ready or not, it's the age of Machines. The rise of Artificial intelligence (AI) is empowering machines to work and react the way humans do. As disruptive technologies infiltrate our lives, affecting everything from how we live, work and entertain our-selves, more & more researchers say that this is just the beginning we haven't seen anything yet. According to a recent report by McKinsey, for example, advances in robotics, AI, and machine learning herald a new era of breakthrough innovation and opportunity.
Artificial Intelligence is the most talked about technology of our time, and for a good reason. AI facilitates machine intelligence, increases efficiency, simplifies routine tasks and makes it easier for humans to focus on the intellectual aspects of a given process.
The Increased Usage of AI
While the World Wide Web is Omni-present today, Artificial Intelligence simplifies the use of websites and applications for all users compared to earlier iterations. Facebook is one of the most obvious practical examples, as it does not require users to specify the content of their interest. A few likes and shares are enough for Facebook to build a profile and deliver preferred content to your feed. For better or worse, AI is constantly working in the background. This intelligent algorithm tailors the user experience further by showing relevant advertisements. Let's look at some more examples you may have already experienced:
Siri: Siri is one of the most popular voice powered personal assistant applications around today. Apple has used AI to show how smart Siri is and by making the voice of Siri more human. Siri not only facilitates users' routine activities like searching in-formation online, guiding on maps, making calls, sending messages, setting reminders for events, or loading an application, but it is also powered by machine learning technology, enhancing assistance by becoming familiar with user behavior over time. Even though this technology is fairly new, voice-powered personal assistants are rapidly entering the market and getting more powerful by day. Voice assistants, which were a novelty in the beginning, have great potential ranging from completely planning your day, while you're asleep to providing emotional support and therapy service.
Tesla Autopilot: Tesla is pioneering vehicular self-driving capabilities. Tesla's new AI gives the vehicles limited (level-2) levels of autonomous driving capability. Additionally, the vehicles are powered by machine learning that allows them to improve driving skills, just as humans learn from experience
backed by big data analytics. In addition to autonomous driving, Summon is a new feature that expands the usability of AI and machine learning in these cars. While you are at work, your car sits idle for eight hours on average. With a car packed with these algorithms, another family member or authorized individual may `summon' the car and the vehicle will drive to their location and pick them up to go to their desired location. AI & Machine Learning are not only a luxury, but carry many practical real life applications.
Amazon Fire Phone-Visual Search: Amazon's Fire phone is powered by a visual search app that simplifies the user experience by allowing users to photograph a product, then search and find it online, making product search a hassle-free experience. Not only does this cut-down search time it is accessible for people with disabilities who may not be able to type on a touch screen phone. Visual search also helps people in different countries purchase or look-up a product in a foreign language. AI has the capability to close cultural barriers, including language, by enabling opportunities for everyone regard-less of language or location. e-Commerce giant Alibaba has also initiated an image matching service for a clothing line. Potential customers upload an image and find suggestions of matching products.
AI&UX: Artificial intelligence enables machines to judge and speculate as humans do. Combining this with machine learning can deliver impressive results. For example, let's say you work in an office and get home at 6:30 PM every day, where your partner has a cup of tea ready, waiting for you as soon as you cross the threshold. This is intelligent behavior, but it's also well mannered and caring.
But what if your partner is not home? What if you are single and still want the same care and timeliness for the same activity at home? An electric kettle powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence can meet those needs. Such a device can even learn about the time variation of your arrival, navigate your current location, and instantly make a cup of tea exactly as a human would do. You may not need to schedule, inform or supervise such a machine. Even with this simple example, it is clear that there are limitless possibilities with the use of Machine Learing & AI in everyday life. In addition to practical day uses, traditional web design can use logic, routine, and situation to deliver the results users are looking for.
Improved User Experience: With the implementation of AI, an online store can intelligently analyze the requirements of their customers. An online store can:
• Be programmed to evaluate a given situation and perform cognitive analyses to learn more about the customers' preferences.
• Calculate the time customers spend on a product page, how long they take to decide and checkout, and predict the reasons for abandoning a filled shopping cart.
AI is capable of creating the perfect user experience, understanding customer habits, and learning about individual preferences for their next visit. Amazon is heading towards an advanced shopping experience with machine learning & artificial intelligence. `Anticipatory shipping' will send-out products to consumers as they need them - at the very least physically locating products closer to customers in order to minimize shipping times when those products are ordered.
Split Testing Will be Obsolete: AI powered testing can deliver products faster with better data-insights and enable product developers to gain deeper insights for quantitative user testing. Consequently, products may start improving themselves through the user experience, mitigating heavy manual testing, in turn, saving time and money.
What's the future of AI?
Expert predications include:
• Improve Healthcare: "When it comes to healthcare, there's a lot machines can do to help the doctor. I don't see a future where we actually don't have doctors guiding, but a lot of the busy work doctors have to do is better done using artificial intelligence," says Serkan Kutan, CTO, Zocdoc.
• Generate New Services: Entirely new AI-based products & services will have created new consumer and industrial markets - Martin Ford, Futurist & NY Times bestselling author of Rise of the Robots.
• Facilitate Sustainability: "Artificial intelligence is going to impact every single industry and everything that we do. On a bigger level, areas like sustainability, climate change, and environmental issues - they are becoming more at the forefront of everybody's minds as we move more into the 21st century and think about the huge challenges we need to tackle like population increases, urbanization, and energy," says Nikita Johnson, Founder, RE.WORK.
Amazon Fire Phone-Visual Search: Amazon's Fire phone is powered by a visual search app that simplifies the user experience by allowing users to photograph a product, then search and find it online, making product search a hassle-free experience. Not only does this cut-down search time it is accessible for people with disabilities who may not be able to type on a touch screen phone. Visual search also helps people in different countries purchase or look-up a product in a foreign language. AI has the capability to close cultural barriers, including language, by enabling opportunities for everyone regard-less of language or location. e-Commerce giant Alibaba has also initiated an image matching service for a clothing line. Potential customers upload an image and find suggestions of matching products.
AI&UX: Artificial intelligence enables machines to judge and speculate as humans do. Combining this with machine learning can deliver impressive results. For example, let's say you work in an office and get home at 6:30 PM every day, where your partner has a cup of tea ready, waiting for you as soon as you cross the threshold. This is intelligent behavior, but it's also well mannered and caring.
But what if your partner is not home? What if you are single and still want the same care and timeliness for the same activity at home? An electric kettle powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence can meet those needs. Such a device can even learn about the time variation of your arrival, navigate your current location, and instantly make a cup of tea exactly as a human would do. You may not need to schedule, inform or supervise such a machine. Even with this simple example, it is clear that there are limitless possibilities with the use of Machine Learing & AI in everyday life. In addition to practical day uses, traditional web design can use logic, routine, and situation to deliver the results users are looking for.
Improved User Experience: With the implementation of AI, an online store can intelligently analyze the requirements of their customers. An online store can:
• Be programmed to evaluate a given situation and perform cognitive analyses to learn more about the customers' preferences.
• Calculate the time customers spend on a product page, how long they take to decide and checkout, and predict the reasons for abandoning a filled shopping cart.
AI is capable of creating the perfect user experience, understanding customer habits, and learning about individual preferences for their next visit. Amazon is heading towards an advanced shopping experience with machine learning & artificial intelligence. `Anticipatory shipping' will send-out products to consumers as they need them - at the very least physically locating products closer to customers in order to minimize shipping times when those products are ordered.
Split Testing Will be Obsolete: AI powered testing can deliver products faster with better data-insights and enable product developers to gain deeper insights for quantitative user testing. Consequently, products may start improving themselves through the user experience, mitigating heavy manual testing, in turn, saving time and money.
What's the future of AI?
Expert predications include:
• Improve Healthcare: "When it comes to healthcare, there's a lot machines can do to help the doctor. I don't see a future where we actually don't have doctors guiding, but a lot of the busy work doctors have to do is better done using artificial intelligence," says Serkan Kutan, CTO, Zocdoc.
• Generate New Services: Entirely new AI-based products & services will have created new consumer and industrial markets - Martin Ford, Futurist & NY Times bestselling author of Rise of the Robots.
• Facilitate Sustainability: "Artificial intelligence is going to impact every single industry and everything that we do. On a bigger level, areas like sustainability, climate change, and environmental issues - they are becoming more at the forefront of everybody's minds as we move more into the 21st century and think about the huge challenges we need to tackle like population increases, urbanization, and energy," says Nikita Johnson, Founder, RE.WORK.
