In Conversation With Ux Magazine

Robb and Josh welcome renowned publisher and information architect Lou Rosenfeld for a conversation that gets into the roots of experience design, while exploring the full bloom of generative AI. Running Rosenfeld Media for nearly two decades has given Lou incredible insights into the publishing world as well as UX, which most Rosenfeld titles explore in specific ways. This great conversation brings lessons from the past to the fore as we race ahead with technology.

Robb and Josh welcome Jenna Fizel (Senior Director, Emerging Technology) and Danny DeRuntz (Executive Design Director) of IDEO for a practical exploration of building conversational experiences focusing on their creation, Lotbot. The conversation branches out into the many facets of digital twins, the languages machines might use to communicate with each other, and the blurring edges between bots and brands.

Robb and guest-host Michael Salamon have a conversation with Don Scheibenreif, Vice President, Distinguished Analyst with Gartner's Customer Experience research group. As the co-author of When Machines Become Customers, Don provides insights into the logistical and trust issues that arise as machines begin buying things on behalf of humans.

Robb and Josh jump into a philosophical but ultimately pragmatic discussion of conversational AI with Tim Wood, Principal Designer for AI and AI Platforms at Amazon Web Services. A veteran designer well-steeped in the waves of technology that have shaped our modern world, Tim shares ideas surrounding anthropology, anthropomorphism, systemic change, real-world implementation, and unwelcome outcomes.

Robb and Josh welcome digital transformation expert and bestselling author Charlene Li for a conversation about the trajectory technology has taken over the last 20 years and how decision-makers need to reframe their expectations and goals as generative AI continues to transform the marketplace. The explosive power of LLMs to enhance the experience of writing and providing thought leadership also comes to the fore as well in this far-reaching discussion of AI.

Robb and Josh enjoy a vigorous conversation with Emmy-winning investigative travel journalist Peter Greenberg. His reporting on the broken experiences and deceitful practices heaping ruin on the travel and hospitality industry reveal opportunities for the technologies associated with AI to make sweeping and meaningful improvements. The catch: these changes will require systemic change, which will be an uphill battle to say the least.

Robb and Josh have a philosophical conversation about art, creativity, and perception with Laura Herman of the University of Oxford. As a tool for creating, generative AI is changing the way we think about art what constitutes artistry. The artistic process will always require human hands and human input, as a piece of art isn't really finished until someone experiences it. Covering synesthesia, UX research, and possible outcomes for the heightened levels of technology intertwined in our daily lives, this discussion provides ample food for thought.

Robb and Josh go deep on a conversation with Dr. Jim Webber, Chief Scientist at Neo4j, about the convergence of large language models (LLMs) and graphDB. Popularized by Neo4j, graphDB creates a relational database that connects individual data points (or nodes) accross a network of information. LLMs are capable of doing real work and providing more reliable responses when they are given context. GraphDBs can leverave all types of data across and organization to provide that context and elevate operations to new heights. This is an exciting discussion about the future of data that will captivate scientists and designers alike. 203508

Robb and Josh take a deep dive into technology and healthcare with Leroy Hood, MD, PhD (Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of ISB) and Nathan Price, PhD (Chief Scientific Officer of Thorne HealthTech), auhtors of The Age of Scientific Wellness. Hood played a pivotal role in the Human Genome Project and he and Price have uncovered the ways that science and technology can move us toward 4P medicine that is predictive, personalized, preventive, and participatory. Together, hosts and guests unlock new opportunities for conversational AI to move us closer to much more effective and personal healthcare.

With MosaicML acquired last week for 1.3 Billion, we rushed to get you an episode we've been working on with Mosaic's Chief Scientist, Jonathan Frankle. It's here and the episode is packed with a lot of practical thinking and perspective on the incredible work they're doing at Mosaic. Robb, Josh and Jonathan Frankle have a fun and useful conversation for anyone who's just wrapping their head around implementing LLMs, or those already deep in the trenches.

Robb and Josh welcome inventor, entrepreneur, and researcher Adam Cheyer for a conversation about the long road leading up to the breakthrough ChatGPT moment. As one of the co-creators of Siri, Adam shares stories from his time at Apple, including a memorable design debate with Steve Jobs that he wishes he'd won. This is a fascinating exploration of conversational AI with two innovators who have been working with this technology for decades—both Robb and Adam have extensive backgrounds in the field.

For the season one finale, Robb and Josh welcome legendary researcher, professor, and author Don Norman. His book "The Design of Everyday Things" helped define the parameters of human centered design, and his new book "Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable, Humanity Centered" expands the process to account for the global ecosystem our designs call home. Don shares powerful insights into the ways design and technology continue to shape our lives, including ideas on the fundamental shortcomings of the term "artificial intelligence." Intro music, "Nitro Reign" by Elias Earl

Robb and Josh welcome conversation designer Rebecca Evanhoe for a discussion about the detailed work of creating meaningful conversational experiences. Rebecca is co-author of "Conversations with Things" (Rosenfeld Media) and teaches courses at Pratt Institute on UX writing and conversational design. Here, she shares insights into the nature of writing, the application of technology like ChatGPT, and the powerful instances of co-creation happening all around us.

Robb and Josh have a thought-provoking conversation with Tim O'Reilly, the founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media, whose Global Network Navigator site was the first web portal and commercial site on the Internet. Tim adds perspective to this unique moment in history, having been an integral part of the emergence of the World Wide Web. The three also dig into ideas surrounding the regulation of technologies associated with AI.

Robb and Josh welcome bestselling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin for a conversation about ideas from his new book, The Song of Significance. They explore how imperative it is that we rethink our relationship with productivity and actively find ways to make “work” more rewarding.

Robb and Josh welcome futurist, author, and sought-after speaker Theo Priestley to the conversation. Together they discuss the proactive nature of futurism, the ways technology might change our concept of work, and how we have the tools and sheer numbers to instigate real positive change.

Robb and Josh welcome Anna Yankovska and Helen Peklo, who helped bring an idea Robb had about companies and their surrounding communities to life. HUMANS, Coffee in Tech is a cafe on the first floor of OneReach.ai headquarters in Kyiv, Ukraine. Team members get their daily caffeine fix here, but it's also open to the broader community, and has become a dependable bright spot in people's lives on the front lines of an ongoing war. HUMANS is unique in that there is no hierarchy among the baristas. Managerial duties and other tedious tasks are handled by Hugh, an intelligent digital worker created using the OneReach.ai platform. This is an exciting episode that explores the litany of ways a modest coffee shop is pushing the boundaries of technology and organizational structures.

Robb and Josh spend time exploring the digital twin concept, as it applies to both individuals and organizations. ChatGPT and similar generative AI tools have added new wrinkles to the process of creating and leveraging digital twins, and this episode outlines a path forward for technological transformation. 67TDYSloi9MuusxHvsRn

Robb and Josh welcome special guests Julie Shah and Ben Armstrong, authors of the recent HBR article "A Smarter Strategy for Using Robots." Ben Armstrong is the executive director and a research scientist at MIT’s Industrial Performance Center. Julie Shah is the H.N. Slater Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Together, they co-lead the Work of the Future initiative. Their discussion covers the parallels and overlap between the design and implementations of invisible machines and tangible ones.

Robb and Josh welcome special guest Ovetta Sampson for a rousing discussion about the relationship between experience design and the technologies associated with artificial intelligence.