Human conversations with grids of numbers
Glenn Jones at UX Brighton 2024
About this talk
The rise of large language models signals a new era in machine learning. Yet, these grids of numbers, while impressive, offer a faltering facade of true human communication. Past research reminds us that conversation is a beautiful, chaotic, and profoundly human tool that resists easy replication.
However, there is a seed in generative AI of something to come: tools that can generate individualised and ethereal interactions. Emerging reasoning capabilities that can interact with the experiences we have built for humans, which act as agents on our behalf. These systems hold the promise of eventually working in collaboration with us, through our greatest tool – spoken and written language.
In this talk Glenn will explore possible AI driven user experiences. What will be the place for graphical interfaces in a world of conversational AI? Will chat UI design patterns prove to be just a passing adolescent phase – something we’ll all soon look back on with a wry smile.
About Glenn
Glenn Jones is a tech founder and advisor with a passion for seamlessly blending UX design, product leadership, and strategic thinking. He led the design and product function in the start-up he co-founded, working for clients such as The Guardian, FT and Washington Post.
Unconventionally, he has in-depth expertise across many different fields of the digital industry. His mind moves from data, coding, to considering UX, all while strategizing product commercialization. You might find him doing all of these things at once. After being involved in two successful tech exits, Glenn spends his time researching AI and advising high-growth teams.
Related reading
Books, research, ideas and people referenced in this talk.
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Projects and resources
- Siri05:05Siri is named as prior art for voice and chat interfaces that designers should study before designing with machine learning.
- Google Assistant05:05Google Assistant is named alongside Siri as an existing conversational interface that provides prior art for this design space.
- Midjourney20:10Midjourney is identified as the generator used to create the dice image in Glenn's generative AI example.
- Miro AI25:35Miro AI is shown as a tool that can help make sense of large collections of collaborative workshop material.
Concepts
- Conversation analysis05:22Conversation analysis is introduced as a way to understand the subtle, sophisticated mechanisms of human conversation.
Books
- How We Talk05:37How We Talk is named while Glenn discusses how human conversation works beyond a simple chat interface.
Papers and articles
- Logic and Conversation05:57Grice's maxims are introduced as part of the conversational structure that interfaces need to understand.
