The Bicycle and the Algorithm: Amber Case on Why AI Has It Backwards
5 hours ago
- Technology should 'dissolve' through use like a bicycle, not be 'invisible' or demand constant attention.
- The iPhone created a 'texture famine' by replacing tactile controls with smooth glass, forcing perpetual visual scanning.
- Current AI and voice assistants add an 'interaction tax' by making users stop and consult systems instead of acting intuitively.
- Good ambient intelligence, like a blind-spot indicator in a car, provides subtle, location-relevant information without requiring acknowledgment.
- Design principles for calm technology: stop measuring time-in-product, expose state continuously, use peripheral senses, and respect muscle memory.
- Calm Technology is a necessary counterweight to AI, preventing 'ambient anxiety' caused by opaque systems.
- Case advocates for 'pass-through' technology that is legible, controllable, and does not insert itself between users and their goals.
- Designers should reference physical objects for tangible affordances and consider visible failure states.