Summary
Data cannot interpret the world. Only humans can. Because of that, the next evolution of AI requires a more collaborative approach to building systems. And UX researchers are uniquely positioned to build the dream team responsible for managing the data collection required for more responsible AI. Anthropology and sociology methodologies provide us the framework to interpret human behavior in a way that telemetry can't. Qualitative research leads to more socially conscious computing decisions that will impact technology companies going forward. Join this fireside conversation to discover... The power of changing one tiny acronym from "Human-Computer Interaction" to "Human-Centered Innovation" Expert recommendations for building more responsible technology What it will take to build a fundamental practice around collecting and analyzing high-quality data Practical steps you can take today to build ethical products in the future
Key Insights
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Context matters in technology adoption and usage.
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Users often innovate solutions that technology developers may not anticipate.
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Community-driven organizations can thrive despite corporate attempts to dictate systems.
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Self-organization of gig workers contradicts narratives of alienation prevalent in the West.
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Building trusting relationships in local communities is essential for impactful research.
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Qualitative research offers deep insights into user experiences and societal contexts.
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Research should engage communities early in the development process, not just at the end.
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Ethics in research require acknowledgment of power dynamics and researcher positionality.
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Inter-community dynamics can significantly influence research outcomes and insights.
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Collaborative spaces, like Basecamps, highlight the importance of community in gig economies.
Notable Quotes
"I went into Jakarta with a narrative that it should transform everything but found pre-existing practices were still in place."
"Drivers self-organized around physical locations called Basecamps, which the platforms had claimed would be eliminated."
"Drivers created their own hacked apps to address issues the original platforms overlooked."
"A lot of innovation comes from users rather than the big companies behind the technology."
"We need to recognize that technologies do not have universal impacts across different contexts."
"What the technology designers assumed about user behavior was often far from reality."
"I realized that the way I was asking questions made no sense in this context."
"Research must consider intra-community politics to avoid oversimplification of experiences."
"We shouldn’t let computer science dictate the power dynamics; we have a lot more influence than we think."
"The relationships we build before entering communities affect the quality and depth of our research findings."
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