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What no one tells you about personalization

Taking a more human-centered approach to personalization in the age of AI.

Slava Polonski, PhD
UX Collective
8 min readMay 22, 2024
AI image in the cartoon style of 1960s. Personalization as a prism or as a portrait. UX lessons from Google about AI personalization algorithm and what we should do about them.
Personalization as a portrait or as a prism? (Illustration by author via Midjourney)

This week, Microsoft unveiled its new Copilot+ PCs, packed with AI features promising unprecedented personalization. Among them, the “Recall” feature stood out as a pinnacle of personalized UX, tracking everything from web browsing to voice chats, creating a searchable history that remembers what you did, even months later.

The media response has been divided — where on the cool-to-creepy spectrum does this feature fall? Is it the ultimate personalization or a step too far into personal surveillance? Already, forum articles with titles like “Microsoft Copilot is Spying on Me” are sparking debates across the internet.

Imagine walking into a store where every shelf is filled with items that seem chosen just for you. The lighting adjusts to your preference, the music is your favorite playlist, and the store clerk greets you by name, already anticipating your needs. It seems like a dream of perfect personalization. But at what cost? In exchange for this tailored experience, you grant a full, X-ray view of your life.

In theory, personalization is the art of tailoring experiences to individual users, transforming generic interactions into meaningful engagements. But when you…

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Published in UX Collective

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Written by Slava Polonski, PhD

UX Research Lead @ Google Flights | 20% People+AI Guidebook | Forbes 30 Under 30 | PhD | Global Shaper & Expert @WEF | Prevsly @UniofOxford @Harvard

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