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Dangerous metaphors in AI
The way we explain the future becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In technology, we use metaphors to simplify and relate ideas. They serve as stepping stones to explaining high-level concepts and popularizing AI.
We must be cautious about the metaphors we embrace and the narratives we construct when discussing AI’s future. They shape our perceptions, set expectations, and guide our actions. When people say, “Data is the new gold,” while comparing AI advancements to the Wild West, we must dig deeper into what they really mean.
Metaphors in UX
For an interface to work, designers and users must share common understanding and trust. We assume users know that a “home” button on a page will not take them to a Google map of their house. Messages in a chat are not delivered by paper plane after clicking the send icon (though that would be cool!).
My spam folder in my inbox consistently lacks salty bits of pork fat pressed together in a mushy/rubbery paste shaped like a rectangular can. Which I consider the most outrageous example of false advertisement.
Metaphors interweave and breed new ones. For example, with 70.69% of the phone market, Android phones may be the most widespread platform for Material Design, a system of interconnected metaphors.
“Material is the metaphor. Material Design is inspired by the physical world and its textures, including how they reflect light and cast shadows. Material surfaces reimagine the mediums of paper and ink.” — Material Design Principles (Source).
This extrapolation of the real to the digital is also noticeable when we use the heuristic “Match between the System & the Real World.” We imply that metaphors are so intrinsic to our practice that not utilizing preexisting analog mental models is a missed opportunity.
Metaphors are part of every designer’s tool kit… see what I did there?
The limits of a metaphor
In the 1994 movie Forest Gump, Sally Field says, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” She suggests that life is unpredictable and full of surprises, setting a blueprint for Forrest to…
