One of the primary usages of artificial intelligence (AI) is to enhance and personalise the user experience (UX). In some areas this has already proved tremendously successful. In others the technology is still in its infancy, though continues to improve day by day. But is AI increasing the demands of consumers, or is it satisfying them as it stands? And how much does UX influence AI? The relationship seems to be symbiotic to some extent, with the behaviour, likes, dislikes, and responses of humans allowing AI to learn more and provide better results in areas such as entertainment, marketing, and customer service. Let’s explore a little.
AI and UX
In their fascinating book AI and UX: Why Artificial Intelligence Needs User Experience, authors Gavin Lew and Robert M. Schumacher Jr. look at the growing influence of AI on UX, but from a slightly different perspective from the norm. It looks at the end product of AI, that is the product or service that has been affected by it, from the perspective of the end user. AI is often used as a tool to get a product on to the market as quickly as possible, Lew and Schumacher Jr. suggest that getting a product into a user’s hands quickly might mean it works, but does it work well? It’s about striking a balance between the back and forth relationship between AI and UX, and examining both the successes and failures via examples and theories.
AI and Entertainment
One of the primary success stories of AI in popular use comes in the form of entertainment. Consumers are becoming more demanding than ever, with expectations high in terms of recommendations, tailored and personalised content. Many areas of entertainment could benefit from the use of AI in the future, based on their current business models. Let’s take the booming online casino industry as an example — AI could suit such an industry that already gathers and uses customer data when personalising content, whether customers favour playing slots online, for example, or prefer table games with live dealers and croupiers. The same can be said for streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix where recommendations and tailored content have become the norm.
AI and Customer Service
Another area where AI seems to have enriched UX is customer service. The common usage of algorithmic chatbots has made the customer service flow easier and more streamlined, both for customers and businesses. Chatbots can answer ever more advanced queries which were once the bedrock of long, hard to navigate FAQ pages, which made the UX clunky and unapproachable. However, chatbots can serve as a vital tool for customer service, handling day-to-day problems which leave employees free to tackle more complex issues which may arise during the customer journey. But many still prefer the human touch, favouring social media platforms as a way of communicating with brands — this is understandable, especially among older people who maybe don’t trust the emerging technology as much.
AI has become entrenched in our daily lives, in the hope of ‘perfecting’ UX. But is the balance too one-sided? It’s an interesting question, and one that will only be answered as the technology, and our response to it, continue to develop.
