People-Centric Approaches to AI Explainability

More people interact with AI every day, knowingly or otherwise. When people don’t understand how an AI-driven service comes up with results, they may feel less able to discern whether or not to trust it. This challenge compounds when technology developers are at odds with policy makers on this topic, which can often lead to the creation of confusing and undesirable user experiences. There is a need for cross-sector collaborative efforts to improve people's understanding of AI, and foster more trustworthiness in digital services. How might we empower people in their use of AI-powered digital products?

Craig Walker worked closely with TTC Labs to undertake collaborative, cross-sector research into the design and promotion of people-centric approaches to AI explainability and transparency. The report produced for this project showcases TTC Labs’ thought leadership in this emerging field, presenting their research findings alongside Meta’s AI Explainability Framework. The official launch of the report took place at TTC Labs’ virtual TTC Summit 2022, which brought together the world's leading thinkers on AI to explore questions of trust, explainability and control.

The insights and considerations contained in the resulting report make an important contribution to cross-sector efforts to bring greater transparency to AI-powered technologies and empower people in their use of digital products. Policymakers have used these frameworks to work closely with industry and support them through policy prototyping and data regulatory sandboxes. The IMDA, the statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information who are the driving force behind Singapore's digital transformation efforts, continues to share and advocate the report so that its findings and insights will continue to benefit policy and product makers in this space.

The collaborative process between Craig Walker and TTC Labs involved the design and ongoing application of Design Jams, sessions which brought together experts from disparate fields related to AI, to better discuss and understand the issues involved in trustworthiness and create solutions for them. A key outcome of these Jams were prototypes of desirable user experiences which were detailed, documented, and then subsequently used to inform key design principles as well as technology policies. Craig Walker also developed the brand strategy and visual identity for the summit, including the event landing page, in addition to new theme pages for TTC Labs’ research into trustworthy AI. To promote the summit and the report, Craig Walker also created a scrolling visual explainer on AI explainability. These design assets brought a cohesive, approachable clarity to the subject that resonated with a variety of audiences.