Who does the math: A designer’s journey in building an AI-based tutoring app

Key Insights

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  Designing AI products demands a strong understanding of AI’s inner workings to anticipate challenges and create meaningful alternatives.

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  AI model updates can unpredictably impact performance, requiring flexible design solutions and rapid iteration.

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  The Boost 11 Plus app used photography and step-by-step AI tutoring to assist stressed students and their families effectively.

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  Strict SLAs, like 24-hour design comment turnarounds, help teams manage rapid changes and keep alignment in AI projects.

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  Design principles such as avoiding gamification and clarifying the app is a calculator, not a person, were crucial to maintaining ethical clarity.

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  Designers face loss of traditional precision and predictability when designing with large language models due to their inherent opacity.

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  Rapid AI advances demand constant adaptation; designers must create multiple design alternatives to navigate ambiguity.

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  The plastics analogy illustrates how shiny new technologies can deliver powerful capabilities but carry unforeseen long-term harms and ethical risks.

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  AI’s environmental cost, like energy use for generating content, is significant and often overlooked in design and deployment choices.

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  AI systems can diminish critical cognitive skills like memory and critical thinking, highlighting the need for mindful usage and design.

Notable Quotes