In part three of the AI Experience series, we discuss the importance of transparency in the evolution of artificial intelligence.

Trust is the foundation of any good relationship. It is what allows us to feel confident that we can rely upon someone, or something, without reservation. When it comes to our relationships with government institutions, companies and other individuals, what’s crucial in developing trust is knowing that any personal information they know about us remains confidential. This is especially important in creating public acceptance of AI.

Trust takes years to build, seconds to break.

Data breaches and the misuse of sensitive information in the name of business has eroded consumers’ trust in AI solutions as the nascent industry attempts to find its footing.^* In a recent study published by Capgemini, 75 percent of respondents surveyed said they wanted more transparency from services powered by AI and 76 percent felt there should be more regulation on how companies use AI. It goes without saying that the challenge for AI developers is how to secure and further improve consumers’ trust, not only in the technology itself, but in their own intentions, motivations and policies.

According to Dr. Christina J. Colclough who advocates for global workers’ rights in the digital age, AI developers have an obligation to “introduce or enable trust in these systems.” The way to do that, she says, “is by having demands for transparency, fairness, and auditability, so that humans don’t feel that they are controlled by this algorithmic system, which knows more about me than I do.”

Transparency in AI can be broken down into five key areas – explainability, communication, purpose, data privacy and interface, all which we’ll take a closer look at below.

 

Explainability

With machines now making more and more decisions that affect human lives, it’s important to be able to understand the process by which such decisions are reached. For this to happen, AI developers must be more open about their systems so that consumers and regulators can have a better understanding of what’s going on under the hood. This will allow users and other key stakeholders to decide whether or not they think the recommendations or findings of AI-based systems come from processes that reliably prioritize fairness and accuracy.

“We need to build explainability into the process,” said Sri Shivananda, senior vice president and CTO of PayPal. “A customer should be able to see why something happened on a product or an experience and platforms need to be able to explain why any choice was made.”

 

Communication

End users will place more trust in AI – and have more realistic expectations for the technology – when they have a better understanding how it works, making clear, accessible communications essential. AI developers have a responsibility to accurately portray how their products do what they do, being upfront about any and all uses of personal data and addressing potential concerns customers might have in a straight-forward, factual manner.

“You have to have an honest, authentic conversation with your consumers so that they know exactly what’s going on,” said Jeff Poggi, Co-CEO of the McIntosh Group, who sees simpler, more forthright communications as being critical to the wider adoption of AI.

 

Purpose

A clearly defined purpose is also essential, both for the AI system in question and any personal information the user must provide to take advantage of its features. This is so users can be sure their data and habits aren’t being used for unapproved reasons or to provide recommendations or functionalities that serve commercial interests rather than their own.

A full disclosure of purpose helps consumers assess if they’re comfortable or not sharing their information, allowing them to determine whether it is being used to enhance the capabilities of AI, or merely as a means to gather data about their behaviors and preferences for marketing purposes. Developers must also enact effective oversight to ensure that the AI systems and services they develop continue to operate on the premise of providing value to the customer.

Data Privacy

For over a decade now consumers have provided their personal data in exchange for access to apps and online services, and more recently, to make use of AI solutions. So, probably many aren’t fully aware of the potential consequences of having their information stolen by bad actors. In fact, in a recent survey by PwC, 55 percent of respondents said they would continue to use or buy services from companies even after a breach.

“I think the majority of ordinary citizens and ordinary workers cannot even imagine the power and potential of these technologies,” said Dr. Colclough. “We don’t know what the threats to our privacy and human rights are.”

As AI systems become more prevalent in all areas of daily life, the opportunity for sensitive information to be compromised increases. Companies will need to invest ever more resources in data security if they are to foster trust and ensure the future success of AI technology. But, equally, investment is also needed to educate consumers about the inherent risks of sharing their personal information.

Interface

Making user-AI interactions as intuitive and seamless as possible will help companies boost the uptake of their intelligent offerings. A system that can read and interpret one’s behaviors and predict actions ahead of time could potentially be viewed as more invasive than helpful, preventing people from sharing accurate data or enabling all recognition and learning features. The development of interfaces that can speak and comprehend conversational language and recognize needs without being asked will introduce a human-machine relationship that is more personal and natural, helping to bring about the next level of the AI experience.

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* https://www.edelman.com/news-awards/trust-technology-continues-erode-2020

Photo Credit: Cadillac

In this segment of On the Job, we take a look at user experience (UX) designers and the crucial role they play in LG’s Vehicle component Solutions Company.

The future of mobility is fast approaching, with software predicted to account for 90 percent of all vehicle-related innovation within a decade.¹ According to some estimates, around 461 million vehicles will have been equipped with digital head units – the control center for an automobile’s information and entertainment center – and 115 million with digital cockpit architecture, between the years 2020 and 2030.²

And it’s software that gives digital dashboard displays, head units, cockpits among other in-vehicle systems, their ability to enhance the overall driver and passenger experience. And as an expert in both plastic OLED (P-OLED) and user experiences (UX), LG is helping to shape the future of mobility with advanced in-vehicle digital displays.

Photo Credit: Cadillac

As the automotive interior becomes more complex and more informative, the role of the UX designer is growing in importance. While UX design may not be as well-known as a car’s exterior design, there is no question that it’s one of the most dynamic fields related to design today with much room to evolve. Currently, the UX in vehicles relates to three main elements: traditional driver clusters such as speedometers and odometers; rear-seat entertainment (RSE); audio, video and navigation (AVN).

From left: Park Ji-yeong, Yoo Ah-yeon , Ko Seung-yeon, Oh Ji-won, Jeong Hye-in, Ahn Jong-yoon

From concept to production, the development cycle of a car today takes years. The whole time, LG’s UX designers are involved every step of the way, considering every angle, every possible experience. Safety and convenience are of the greatest importance to LG UX designers, especially when it relates to AVN and driver cluster displays.

Details from font, text size, screen brightness and visibility at different times of the day to accessibility of commonly-used functions is factored in to produce an optimized graphical user interface (GUI). And because drivers’ preferences differ widely, both physical controls must coexist seamlessly with more flexible touch displays without confusing the vehicle’s occupants.

But beyond usability and safety, LG’s in-car displays must also deliver exceptional style. The integrated infotainment system must exude a sleek, modern aesthetic that complements the interior and makes the driver and passengers feel as though they’ve stepped into a luxurious cockpit.

But a UX designer’s role doesn’t just stop at the drawing board or the CAD system. LG UX designers are also well versed in customer service.

“While working on the digital cockpit for a client, I took up residence in their offices for many months because the collaboration with our clients doesn’t simply end with the design,” said Park Ji-yeong, senior UX designer at LG Electronics. “Automobile software is updated for years, even for models launched almost a decade ago, so we make it a priority to follow up with our clients regularly.”

As UX designers at LG work to advance the in-vehicle experience, the information and entertainment technology inside the vehicle cabin will continue to evolve and become more complex. So it’s a fairly sure bet that the job of a vehicle user experience designer will only be more vital to the driving experience, even if the driving is mostly done by the car.

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¹ https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/report/auto-2030
² https://www.abiresearch.com/press/digital-cockpit-be-mainstream-2030-due-major-restructure-connected-automotive-infotainment-architecture/

In the second episode of the AI Experience series, we delve into the role of ethics in the evolution of artificial intelligence.

The benefits of AI notwithstanding, there continues to exist concerns about the ethical implications of a technology that could potentially know more about its users than they do about themselves. And for as long as there have been intelligent machines, there have been skepticism and distrust. While some of this wariness could be traced back to the way artificial intelligence has been portrayed in science fiction books and movies, it’s no exaggeration to say that suspicion toward such technology is widespread. In fact, the late Stephen Hawking once said, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate.”

Photo Credit: European Commission

To prevent such scenarios from ever coming true, the European Union recently put into place regulations to ensure that “good ethics” are built into all AI technologies. Regarding the new guidelines, executive vice president of the European Commission for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, said, “With these landmark rules, the EU is spearheading the development of new global norms to make sure AI can be trusted.”¹

Before we delve into ethical AI, it is important to understand how AI learns – and what (and whom) it is learning from – in the first place. Because AI gains insight from data collected from existing societal structures and based on parameters set by human beings – such as researchers and developers – and the companies they work for, it is enevitable that the technology will reflect at least some of the biases, tendencies and preconceptions that exist within those separate but intimately related elements.

“Human centric means to take into consideration the human aspect of how the tools are going to be used, for what purpose, and what’s the consequence for humans who use the tool,” said Yoshua Bengio, 2019 Turing Award-winning AI researcher and founder of Mila (originally Montreal Institute for Learned Algorithms). “It’s important because those tools are becoming more and more powerful, and the more powerful the tool is, the more we need to be careful about how to use it.”

So now let’s take a look at five areas that are integral to the ethical development and use of AI, moving forward: inclusivity, values, governance, data privacy and purpose.

 

Inclusivity

Acknowledging and factoring in diversity is central to producing AI systems that meet the needs of a diverse global population. However, a study published by in 2019 concluded that there is an alarming lack of diversity in the AI field and that this is perpetuating all kinds of gender, race and religious biases.²

In response to this state of affairs, groups such as the African Institute for Mathematical Science, which launched courses to train young Africans in machine learning and its application to diversify the talent pipeline, are calling for initiatives to achieve a more equitable future for AI. But more consistent and far-reaching efforts are needed if there is to be better cultural and gender representation in the lab and in the industry.

“If you don’t have diversity among the people who are doing the designing and the people doing the testing, the people who are involved in the process, then you’re all guaranteed to have a narrow solution,” says Charles Isbell, dean of computing at Georgia Tech and a strong advocate for increasing access to and diversity in higher education.

Values

To a great extent, the values of a nation determines the philosophy behind a country’s AI development. The decoupling of technology in such countries is often made on ethical grounds rooted in fundamental differences in ideologies and values. For example, there is wide disparity in how far governments can intrude upon people’s private lives from country to country.

To alleviate this, private entities should consider universal human values when designing AI systems and be responsible for their products that strongly impact society.

“That’s why it’s not just about maximizing their profits… but taking the responsibility, in the way that the action will have an impact on society,” explains Dr. Yuko Harayama of Japanese scientific research institute, RIKEN, and former executive member of Japan’s Council for Science, Technology and Innovation Cabinet Office. “It’s up to us because we are all human beings and that means you are responsible for your action, including your action within your company.”

Governance

According to a list of 20 AI-enabled crimes put together by researchers at University College London, the biggest threat to civil order comes not from the technology itself, but from humans using it to their own illegal ends. Using driverless vehicles as weapons was among the possible crimes presented in the study.

Historically it has been the role of governments to ensure public safety through regulation and oversight but with AI, lawmakers are faced with the difficulty of legislating a technology that is constantly evolving and challenging to comprehend. Rather than leaving this matter exclusively in the hands of the government, a broad, interdisciplinary effort is required so that any legislation encompasses a wider range of viewpoints and is built on a deeper fundamental understanding of AI.

 

Data Privacy

AI systems for consumers have relatively few safeguards compared to those designed for industrial or military use, making them more susceptible to personal data breaches or misuse. This is why fostering trust is so important when it comes to human-centric AI systems – trust that users’ data is safe and protected and that it isn’t being used for purposes without owner consent.

“I think the biggest things we need to consider is what data is being collected, who is collecting it, where it is staying, and how it is being used and reused,” said Alex Zafiroglu, deputy director at the 3A Institute of The Australian National University, emphasizing the need for transparency in the use and collection of data for consumer AI solutions.

Purpose

To deliver relevant services and maximum convenience, AI-based systems require users to share certain pieces of personal data. The more personalized the experience provided, the more private data the user has to share.

It is critical, then, that the purpose for which this data is used is clearly defined at the outset, and strictly adhered to by the service providers and manufacturers concerned. If AI only employs collected data for a stated purpose, end users would feel less concerned sharing their personal information. This would enable intelligent products and services to deliver more value and the companies that produce them to better fine-tune their offerings.

As its presence and uses continue to expand in all areas of life, artificial intelligence presents human society with the potential for incredible advancement. While significant risks exist, these can be effectively mitigated by making ethics the center of all AI development.

Visit www.AIXexchange.com to discover the perspective of AI experts and leaders in various fields such as design, anthropology, policy, consumer and employee advocacy. LG ThinQ platform (thinq.developer.lge.com) is also available to external partners and developers to accelerate the development of its AI technology.

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¹ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_1682
² https://ainowinstitute.org/AI_Now_2019_Report.html

 

In this installment of On the Job, we put the spotlight on a few of the talented and creative individuals who make our products come alive.

From dazzling nighttime displays on buildings to state-of-the-art screens in stadiums, LEDs are literally everywhere. LED, or light-emitting diode, has become the lighting technology of choice in cars, homes and consumer electronics. Recently a new form of LED has entered our lexicon and piqued the public’s interest because of its size, or lack thereof – Micro LED.

It would be a serious understatement to say that Micro LEDs are small.  Micro LED refers to tiny, individually addressable, self-emissive LED light sources measuring between 10 to 100 micrometers in size. A Micro LED display comprises an array of microscopic LEDs with a gap no bigger than one millimeter between them. Turning this new LED technology into a viable commercial display was the challenge facing the LG MAGNIT product design team. To bring LG MAGNIT to life, the team at LG’s Design Lab aimed to create a slim, lightweight product that offered hassle-less installation, next-level flexibility and an attractive aesthetic.

From left: Lee Yong-ho, Park Chan-woo, Kihl He-won, Hwang Jung-yeon

LG MAGNIT is made up of an array of microscopic LEDs with a gap no bigger than one millimeter between them. These tiny LEDs are capable of improved brightness and color accuracy than conventional LCD displays and make it possible to produce a near-infinite variety of screen sizes. Micro LED displays also offer additional benefits such as energy efficiency and fast response time.

The clever block-assembly design is one of the most creative features of LG MAGNIT. Each Micro LED “cabinet” links seamlessly to other cabinets, allowing installers to quickly and easily construct large-scale display on any site. Thanks to the MAGNIT design team’s use of non-contact connector technology, sending and receiving signals wirelessly between cabinets is a cinch, simplifying and reducing the time needed for cable management.

The product design team also made sure that LG MAGNIT’s wireless data transfer technology made for easier content management as well. This design allows users to simultaneously display the same content across any number of LG MAGNIT solutions without having to configure a wired network connection. What’s more, the clever block-assembly power docking mechanism developed specifically for LG’s micro LED signage can shorten installation time by up to 33 percent.

To create a visually-striking, premium look, the LG MAGNIT product design team opted to use pressed metal for the rear-casing instead of typical plastic. Not only does the metallic finish look great, but it also reduces the overall weight and cost of the product and offers excellent durability as well. With its distinctive triangular motif, the cover resembles an expertly-cut diamond that makes LG MAGNIT a pleasure to behold from all angles.

The successful efforts of LG’s product designers to realize the sleek, premium design of LG MAGNIT have not gone unnoticed. With its innovative clever block-assembly concept, the Micro LED signage solution won a Bronze Award at the 2020 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), one of the world’s top three design competitions. The accolade was well deserved recognition for a team that continues to excel at finding new ways to solves problems and deliver on LG’s mission to make life better.

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