Ethical Use of AI Tools in Designer’s Work
Korpela, Päivi (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112830888
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112830888
Tiivistelmä
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are shaping our society and have a huge impact on the future of work. There are great expectations towards AI, but it also involves ethical challenges and unintended effects. Since the end of 2022, the use of generative AI tools has spread rapidly, and they are used for various purposes across different fields.
The aim of this study is to participate in the discussion on the ethical use of AI as part of the design process, as well as to create background information on the use of AI tools in designer’s work. Additionally, the goal is to explore the ethical challenges related to AI tools, as well as designers’ relationship to ethics and responsible use of AI.
In the theoretical framework, the societal aspects of artificial intelligence and its role in shaping the future of work are examined. Society must keep up with change by introducing measures in legislation and structures that support the evolving needs in regulation, labor markets, and education. The purpose of ethical guidelines is to build a consensus based on the values and norms accepted by the community. Ethical design consists of recognizing human rights, well-being, and avoiding harm. These include awareness of risks AI is causing related to privacy protection, transparency, explainability, bias, and accountability. The use of AI and large amounts of data amplifies the cumulative effect of these risks.
The study was conducted as a case study, as the subject was new and bound to a limited time and experience. Service design methods and approaches were also utilized. The data were collected through a survey, thematic interviews, and in two co-creation workshops, and then analyzed using content analysis methods. Based on the analysis, four personas were developed that reflect designers' attitudes toward AI, its use, and ethical considerations. The result of the development work helps to conceptualize the role of AI tools at different stages of the design process, highlighting ethical risks, and supporting designers in ethical decision-making.
In conclusion, it can be argued that AI tools will not replace the work of designers but will offer new tools and ways of working. Important areas of expertise for a designer are a human-centered approach, empathy, and the ability to interpret lived experiences. AI cannot understand emotions, which is why designers still play an important role in human-centered design work. The need for continuous learning of work-life skills is evident, and this needs to be invested in at the societal, organizational, and individual levels. The most significant ethical risks related to the use of AI tools in the design process are reliability, transparency, and lack of competence. Ethical thinking involves considering what is right, identifying and directing actions responsibly, and reflecting upon the potential consequences they may carry.
The results reflect the reality of the time when the research was conducted, May-June 2023. The enthusiasm for AI tools was high, but information and processes related to ethics were incomplete. Future investigation could test the developed ethical practices in practice and explore how they could be further developed. The personas could be used, for example, to develop training paths or change management models within organizations based on different competencies and needs for support.
The aim of this study is to participate in the discussion on the ethical use of AI as part of the design process, as well as to create background information on the use of AI tools in designer’s work. Additionally, the goal is to explore the ethical challenges related to AI tools, as well as designers’ relationship to ethics and responsible use of AI.
In the theoretical framework, the societal aspects of artificial intelligence and its role in shaping the future of work are examined. Society must keep up with change by introducing measures in legislation and structures that support the evolving needs in regulation, labor markets, and education. The purpose of ethical guidelines is to build a consensus based on the values and norms accepted by the community. Ethical design consists of recognizing human rights, well-being, and avoiding harm. These include awareness of risks AI is causing related to privacy protection, transparency, explainability, bias, and accountability. The use of AI and large amounts of data amplifies the cumulative effect of these risks.
The study was conducted as a case study, as the subject was new and bound to a limited time and experience. Service design methods and approaches were also utilized. The data were collected through a survey, thematic interviews, and in two co-creation workshops, and then analyzed using content analysis methods. Based on the analysis, four personas were developed that reflect designers' attitudes toward AI, its use, and ethical considerations. The result of the development work helps to conceptualize the role of AI tools at different stages of the design process, highlighting ethical risks, and supporting designers in ethical decision-making.
In conclusion, it can be argued that AI tools will not replace the work of designers but will offer new tools and ways of working. Important areas of expertise for a designer are a human-centered approach, empathy, and the ability to interpret lived experiences. AI cannot understand emotions, which is why designers still play an important role in human-centered design work. The need for continuous learning of work-life skills is evident, and this needs to be invested in at the societal, organizational, and individual levels. The most significant ethical risks related to the use of AI tools in the design process are reliability, transparency, and lack of competence. Ethical thinking involves considering what is right, identifying and directing actions responsibly, and reflecting upon the potential consequences they may carry.
The results reflect the reality of the time when the research was conducted, May-June 2023. The enthusiasm for AI tools was high, but information and processes related to ethics were incomplete. Future investigation could test the developed ethical practices in practice and explore how they could be further developed. The personas could be used, for example, to develop training paths or change management models within organizations based on different competencies and needs for support.