Though this class is about software design with a focus on AI, the first major project does not focus on the technology. Rather, we are focusing on the people.
It is a designer’s job to bridge the gap between technology and human behavior. As the internet has entered every aspect of our lives, it has upended interpersonal connection at every level and scale. Technology like smartphones and social media can cause loneliness and polarization, but can also connect us to new people we never would have otherwise met. As generative AI models advance, they threaten to further replace real human interaction with AI simulations of human interaction. How might we fight this entropy?
For this project, design a way to bring people together — online or in real life. These need to be real people you can reach. (Too many school projects focus on designing imaginary solutions for the imaginary problems of imaginary users.) Test your ideas with these real people over and over and over again, and iterate on them based on people’s behavior. Consider who you want to bring together, their motivations for interacting with each other, and what constraints you might place on their interactions.
Your project needs a software component, but it does not need to be pixels on a screen. You can use AI to help with implementing your idea (likely, getting help with coding), but it does not be user-facing. You can use AI in a user-facing way if you want.
This is a group project, because life is a group project. You will be assigned to a 3- or 4-person group.
Group 1: Bo, Peiran, Isabel
Group 2: Finn A., Yifan L., Charles
Group 3: Sandy, Ryan, Finn T., Nelly
Group 4: Stephen, Yifan Z., Eva, Kathryn