Discourse on "AI Focused on Humans" featuring Ben Shneiderman
In a conversation moderated by Hodan Omaar, Policy Analyst at the Center for Data Innovation, Ben Shneiderman, an Emeritus Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, discussed his new book "Human-Centered AI: Ensuring Human Control, Enhancing Human Performance."
The book, which emphasizes the importance of a human-centered perspective on AI, argues that AI systems should be designed to augment, amplify, empower, and enhance human potential rather than replace humans. Shneiderman advocates a design philosophy that combines high levels of human control with high levels of computer automation to create AI that is reliable, safe, and trustworthy, ultimately improving human creativity and performance.
The human-centered approach to AI, as proposed in Shneiderman's book, aims to better serve human needs and promote AI that furthers human values, rights, justice, and dignity. This approach differs from a technology-centered focus by shifting emphasis away from AI as an independent, dominant technological force and instead positioning humans and their values, needs, and agency at the center of AI development and deployment.
Technology-centered AI often prioritizes performance, efficiency, or technical innovation without adequately considering human involvement, preferences, or control, which can result in systems that do not effectively serve or respect end users. In contrast, Shneiderman’s human-centered AI emphasizes end-user participation in the design, testing, and implementation of AI, ensuring that human values guide technological progress and that humans maintain meaningful control over AI systems.
The book suggests building safe, reliable, and trustworthy systems as a key aspect of a human-centered approach to AI. Adopting a human-centered approach can lead to AI systems that are more beneficial to humans, ultimately creating a collaborative human-AI partnership that enhances human capabilities.
The conversation took place on March 23, 2022, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (EDT) and was hosted by the Center for Data Innovation. The event featured Ben Shneiderman as a speaker and attracted a diverse audience of researchers, developers, business leaders, policymakers, and others interested in the future of AI and its impact on society. Shneiderman's participation in the conversation was related to his new book, which calls for a shift from a technology-centered focus to a human-centered perspective on AI.
- Shneiderman's new book, "Human-Centered AI," argues for a shift from a technology-centered focus to a human-centered perspective, emphasizing the importance of AI systems that augment, amplify, and empower human potential.
- The human-centered approach to AI, as proposed by Shneiderman, encourages end-user participation in design, testing, and implementation, ensuring that human values guide technological progress and humans maintain meaningful control over AI systems.
- Adopting a human-centered approach can lead to AI systems that are more beneficial to humans, building safe, reliable, and trustworthy systems, and creating a collaborative human-AI partnership that enhances human capabilities.
- The book also highlights the need for AI policy that prioritizes human needs, rights, justice, and dignity, aligning AI development and deployment with human values and promoting a more equitable and inclusive future.
