Talk Details:

The Future Isn’t Fiction: HCI, UX, and the Myths of the AI “Revolution”

As someone who has spent many years in industry in the US and who recently returned to academia to found a new department of Human Computer Interaction in Abu Dhabi, I would like to reflect on three things: (1) changes in HCI & UX in industry over the years, and especially the acceleration of change in the last 5 years; (2) what is “real” and what is “fiction” around the the rapid changes in HCI & UX that are being foretold in the face of the “AI revolution”; and (3) what we need to focus on for students who are considering a career in HCI & UX now, and what we as leaders, hiring managers, educators, and mentors need to consider as we advise those charting new or revisioned careers in HCI & UX in a world confronted by sustainability and cultural/political balkanisation issues. 

Bio:

Dr. Elizabeth Churchill is a leading expert in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), with a background in psychology, AI, and Cognitive Science and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. She is currently the founding Department Chair and Professor of Human Computer Interaction at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. She was previously a Senior Director of User Experience at Google and has held influential research positions at eBay, Yahoo, PARC, and Fuji Xerox. An ACM Distinguished Scientist, CHI Academy member, and Executive Vice President of ACM, she has played a pivotal role in advancing HCI research and practice. Her work explores the intersection of social computing, ubiquitous computing, and internet sciences, focusing on how people engage with and experience technology in their everyday lives. She has built and led multidisciplinary innovation teams, advised on corporate strategy, and conducted extensive ethnographic research, as well as field-based and laboratory experiments. Churchill’s contributions extend to designing and managing large-scale system trials, helping shape the future of user experience and interaction design. Recognized with numerous honors, including honorary doctorates and the Athena Award for Executive Leadership, she continues to drive forward-thinking discussions on the evolving relationship between people and technology, bridging academic insights with industry applications.