Artificial Intelligence and the New Information Age

As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves, there is growing concern that personal, social, and cultural dimensions are being ignored. The Design Lab’s research in AI addresses these concerns by emphasizing a humanity-centered approach wherein the AI technologies are deeply informed by the contexts in which they operate. This work includes the development of AI systems that are both technically advanced and socially aware, ensuring that they align with human values and needs.

In healthcare, for example, our approach enhances patient care by integrating AI with behavioral science, ensuring that these technologies support rather than disrupt the patient experience. The Design Lab’s work also explores the use of AI in robotics, focusing on creating systems that can work alongside humans in healthcare and other settings, complementing human skills rather than replacing them. We explore the ethical and societal implications of AI by examining how it can be designed and deployed in ways that are equitable and just. The Design Lab’s work in AI focuses on ensuring that new technologies contribute positively to society by being inclusive and sensitive to diverse human experiences.

Affiliated Research Organizations

• Creativity Lab; Director: Haijun Xia
• CSEducation; Faculty: Bill Griswold; Affiliated faculty: Philip Guo
• Digital Health Technologies Lab; Principal Investigator: Edward Jay Wang
• Healthcare Robotics Lab; Principal Investigator: Laurel Riek
• Human-centered eXtended Intelligence Research Lab; Director: Nadir Weibel
• Just Transitions Initiative; Co-Directors: Lilly Irani, Manuel Shvartzberg Carrió
• Interactive Cognition Lab; Director: David Kirsh
• Multi-agent Intelligence and Decision Systems (MINDS); Director: Parinaz Naghizadeh
• Protolab; Director: Steven Dow
• ReCODE Health; Executive Director and Co-Founder: Camille Nebeker; Co-Founder: Nadir Weibel
• UC San Diego Labor Center; founding Faculty Director: Lilly Irani