Seamful XAI: Operationalizing Seamful Design in Explainable AI

Concetti Chiave

The authors propose the concept of Seamful XAI to enhance explainability and user agency by revealing and leveraging sociotechnical mismatches in AI systems.

Sintesi

The content discusses the introduction of Seamful XAI, a design process that helps stakeholders anticipate and design with seams in AI systems. It explores how this process can improve explainability, empower end-users, and facilitate Responsible AI practices. The study involved 43 participants from diverse roles who successfully identified, crafted, and designed with seams in the context of a lending scenario. Participants found the process effective in transferring concepts to their own domains.

Statistiche

"We found that the Seamful XAI design process helped users foresee AI harms, identify underlying reasons (seams), locate them in the AI’s lifecycle, learn how to leverage seamful information to improve XAI and user agency."
"Participants succeeded in designing with the seams they crafted: to strategically select seams that would be worth revealing to augment user agency."

Citazioni

"We make it so easy to use that you won’t even have to think about it!" - VP of a fin-tech company.
"Seams are revealed through breakdowns." - Study participant.

Approfondimenti chiave tratti da

Seamful XAI

by Upol Ehsan,Q... alle arxiv.org 03-07-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2211.06753.pdf

Domande più approfondite

How can the concept of seamfulness be applied beyond AI systems?

Seamfulness, as a design concept that focuses on revealing and leveraging mismatches or gaps in technology, can be applied beyond AI systems to various other technological domains. For example:

User Experience Design: In website or application design, understanding where users may encounter friction points or inconsistencies can help designers create more intuitive and user-friendly interfaces.

Product Development: Seamful design principles can be used in the development of physical products to anticipate potential breakdowns or mismatches between design intent and user experience.

Service Design: When designing services, identifying seams in processes or interactions can lead to more seamless customer experiences and improved service delivery.

Urban Planning: In urban planning, considering seams in infrastructure development can help create more resilient and adaptable cities that cater to diverse needs and scenarios.

Healthcare Systems: Applying seamful design in healthcare systems can help identify gaps in patient care processes, leading to better outcomes for patients and healthcare providers.

By applying seamfulness across different domains, designers and developers can proactively address potential issues before they escalate into larger problems, ultimately enhancing the overall user experience and system functionality.

How does the idea of seamfulness align with principles of ethical design?

The concept of seamfulness aligns closely with principles of ethical design by promoting transparency, accountability, and user empowerment within technological systems:

Transparency: By revealing seams—mismatches or uncertainties—in technology design, users are provided with a clearer understanding of how systems operate and make decisions. This transparency fosters trust between users and technology creators.

Accountability: Identifying seams allows for greater accountability within technology development processes. When stakeholders are aware of potential breakdowns or risks early on, they are better equipped to take responsibility for addressing them effectively.

User Empowerment: Seamful design empowers users by providing them with information about how technologies work behind the scenes. This knowledge enables users to make informed decisions, contest automated decisions when necessary, and adapt their interactions based on contextual factors.

Ethical Considerations: Considering seams helps designers anticipate unintended consequences or biases within technologies that could impact individuals negatively. Addressing these issues proactively aligns with ethical considerations around fairness, privacy protection, inclusivity, and social impact.

What potential drawbacks could arise from leveraging seams in technology design?

While leveraging seams in technology design offers several benefits such as increased transparency and user agency,
there are also some potential drawbacks that need to be considered:
1-Complexity Overload: Revealing too many seams without proper context or guidance may overwhelm users
and detract from their overall experience.
2-Misinterpretation: Users may misinterpret revealed seams as flaws rather than opportunities for customization
or adaptation.
3-Security Risks: Exposing certain technical details through seamful designs could inadvertently reveal sensitive
information that compromises security.
4-Increased Cognitive Load: Users may find it challenging to navigate through complex information about
seams while trying to accomplish tasks efficiently.
5-Resistance To Change: Some users might resist engaging with seamful designs if they prefer a more streamlined
and predictable interaction model without visible imperfections.