Ethics at the Front-End: Responsible User-Facing Design for AI Systems

Abstract

AI ethics discourse typically centers on the design of algorithms and back-end systems, but the design of what users experience at the ‘front-end’ of AI systems also engages with values-laden ethical decisions. Deceptive patterns, distorted data visualization, and exclusionary interfaces represent unethical practices within the purview of interface, interaction and user experience design. In this workshop we seek to better understand and articulate what we believe to be an under-valued area of AI Ethics: front-end design. Through a combination of cross-disciplinary and collaborative hands-on activities, we aim to map a landscape of ethical front-end design for AI including an initial round-up of critical issues for practice, policy implications, and pressing areas for future research. The workshop will host a keynote by human-centered AI trailblazer, Ben Shneiderman and follow-up will include a written synthesis of outcomes for sharing with the HCI community.