How to Make AI More Human-Centred

The Human Element in AI

AI is rapidly transforming our world, and with it, the way we interact with businesses and organisations. From personalised customer experiences to product recommendations, AI has a major impact on the way we live and work.
Nonetheless, while AI has the potential to revolutionise many industries, it’s important to remember that it’s not a substitute for humans. In fact, the human element is essential for the success of AI and, consequently, businesses and organisations.

Within AI, the human element encompasses crucial human skills and qualities that are essential for the development, implementation, and use of AI systems. These skills include creativity, empathy, judgement, and common sense.
Beyond the algorithms and data points, the human element in AI is about understanding the nuances of human behaviour, emotions, and preferences. It’s about deciphering joy, frustration, and everything in between, ensuring responses are not just accurate, but empathetic.

Why human-centred AI is important

Human-centred AI offers numerous benefits. Here are the four pivotal benefits that stand out:

Ensure Ethical Use 
AI systems must be designed and used in an ethical way. This means considering the potential impact of AI on people and society and taking steps to mitigate any negative consequences. Humans are essential for ensuring that AI is used in a responsible and ethical way.

Anticipate Needs
Beyond requests, AI foresees the needs of users and provides them with the information or assistance they need before they even ask for it. This can be done by using data about the user’s past behaviour, preferences, and context.

Enhance Lives
AI is about more than efficiency. It’s about making a difference in daily lives. For example, these systems can be used to provide personalised healthcare recommendations, tailor shopping experiences, or make transportation more efficient. AI can also be used to create new products and services that improve the quality of life.

Build Trust and Loyalty 
When technology understands and responds to us on a personal level, it builds trust. It strengthens brand loyalty and fosters long-lasting relationships. According to a study conducted by PwC, 86% of consumers indicated that they would be more likely to trust a company that uses AI to recommend products or services that align with their needs.

How can businesses implement the human touch in AI?

1. Data Enrichment: Data is the lifeblood of any AI system. It’s essential to gather not just vast amounts of data, but also diverse data that represents various facets of human behaviour. This includes demographic information, behavioural patterns, and even cultural nuances. By incorporating professionals from different disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology, businesses can bring a more comprehensive understanding of human behaviour to their AI systems. This multi-disciplinary approach is crucial in capturing the intricacies of human interactions.
2. Emotion Recognition: Integrating tools that allow AI to detect and respond to emotional cues, ensuring a more human-like interaction is akin to a digital Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), also known as emotional intelligence. This capability allows the system to respond not just accurately, but empathetically, mirroring the way humans understand and react to emotions. This is particularly critical in applications like customer service and mental health support.
3. User-Centred Design: User-centred design in AI is about more than just creating an aesthetically pleasing interface. It’s about putting the user’s emotional well-being at the forefront of the design process. This involves understanding the user’s emotional state during interactions and designing experiences that not only meet their functional needs but also resonate with them on an emotional level. This can be achieved through intuitive interfaces, personalised interactions, and even elements like chatbots with distinct personalities to create a sense of comfort and familiarity. For example, Netflix leverages personalised suggestions based on the user’s viewing history, rating patterns and search queries. Through AI, Netflix is not only able to provide a unique personalised experience for each user, but also optimises its resources and development workflows. These are all key things that keep customers engaged and increase their satisfaction level.
4. Continuous Learning: Empathy in AI is an evolving trait. Through real-world interactions, algorithms can be fine-tuned and adapted. This ongoing learning process refines the system’s ability to engage meaningfully. It’s akin to a learning curve, where the AI becomes more attuned to the nuances of human emotions with each interaction. This continuous learning is what ultimately refines the system’s empathetic capabilities.

By incorporating these advanced strategies, businesses can not only humanise their AI but also create systems that seamlessly integrate into our daily lives, providing more enriching and personalised experiences for users. This blend of cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of human behaviour is the cornerstone of successful AI implementations in the modern world.

Our experience with human-centred AI

At Studio Vi, we stand firm in our belief that digital should serve as an enabler of human potential rather than a distraction. We create custom AI solutions that are the result of a well-crafted AI strategy that incorporates, among others, data analysis, natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning. Further enhanced through a human-centric approach, our smart solutions create valuable and time-saving interactions that provide people with the freedom to focus on what truly matters.

One example that highlights our human commitment is our partnership with Semmie Helpt, which resulted in the successful implementation of a conversational AI and front desk solution. With a straightforward design, this solution automates manual tasks and reduces the time it takes for hospital staff to report issues. For instance, if something is broken, the staff no longer needs to stop what they’re doing or waste time searching for the correct contact from a respective supplier. Instead, they can simply report the issue through a phone call or message to an AI-powered system. This enables them to focus on what they do best: providing care to patients.

Another noteworthy example is our AI-powered solution, BetterStories. This smart tool is built to help publishers deal with the ever-growing slush-pile of manuscripts. It aims to bring better stories to light in a world where 95% of manuscripts are not read due to publishers’ time constraints. Using neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) principles, the tool analyses text and provides insights into the writing style, plot pace, readability, and emotions and sentiments evoked over time. Moreover, based on these features, our tool suggests similar books and assesses whether a book with a similar style has historically performed well in the market.

To sum it all up

In this article, we’ve shown that AI is much more than the general-purpose tools that are commonly associated with it. In a world increasingly reliant on technology, preserving the human touch in AI is not just a choice, but a necessity. It’s this blend of innovation and empathy that defines the future of human-centric technology. While AI doesn’t feel emotions, it learns to recognize and respond to them. Creativity is essential for the design of AI systems that are both innovative and effective. Empathy is important for understanding the needs of users and stakeholders. Judgement is needed to make decisions about how to use AI in a responsible and ethical way. Common sense is essential for ensuring that AI systems are aligned with human values.

Businesses that implement the human element in AI are well-positioned to succeed in the future. They will be able to build stronger relationships with their customers, create more innovative products and services, and make better decisions. This is the path to a future where technology feels less like a tool and more like a human enabler.