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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Jul 27

The consciousness mirage in AI design

We know it’s not human. We feel heard anyway. What mind attribution does to your users, and why it’s now a UX design dial.

The Empathy Trough, an original framework by Dr. Slava Polonski, describes how users’ emotional relationship with conversational AI evolves. Early: high trust and perceived understanding. Middle: users notice limitations and trust declines. Mature: expectations recalibrate — users no longer believe the AI truly understands them, yet continue to value and enjoy the interaction. Experience leads to calibrated trust, not necessarily rejection.

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Jul 2

AI personality is a design problem

Right now it’s an accidental byproduct of AI alignment. It could be an interface we build deliberately.

A comparison contrasts fixed and adaptive AI personality. On the left, a single fixed point represents static personality. An arrow labeled “static design → dynamic regulation” leads to a dynamic spectrum where a default epistemic posture shifts within safe bounds based on context and user preferences. A triangle below shows personality emerging from the interaction of system design, context, and user expectations rather than remaining constant.

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Sep 12

What no one tells you about personalization

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

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.

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Sep 12

Is your UX team a space ship or a pirate ship?

How two different UX leadership styles use loyalty and dissent to supercharge their teams

Is your UX team a space ship or a pirate ship?

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People + AI Research Blog

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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May 6, 2020

When to book and when to fly? Explaining prices in Google Flights

A case study from the Google Flights UX team about designing new AI tools that help users better understand flight prices.

When to book and when to fly? Explaining prices in Google Flights

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UX Collective

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Oct 25

The context advantage of human UX

Context is today’s human advantage, but it is also the raw material AI is rapidly learning to absorb.

Infographic explaining the four layers of context and how easily they transfer to AI: recorded context (documents, tickets, transcripts, and analytics), recalled context (expert knowledge, heuristics, and lessons from past decisions), situated context (tone, hesitation, relationships, and unspoken dynamics), and accountable context (the person who makes the decision and takes responsibility for its consequences). A horizontal scale shows that context becomes harder to transfer from left to right

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UX Collective

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Oct 5

AI skill atrophy: Are we forgetting how to think?

The hidden cost of outsourcing our thinking to AI.

AI skill atrophy: Are we forgetting how to think?

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Predict

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Sep 28

How do you certify AGI?

The race toward artificial general intelligence has a problem: there is no test, no certificate, and no agreed definition of the finish…

How do you certify AGI?

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UX Collective

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Sep 21

Should the job of a UX designer be reserved for humans?

Should some jobs stay human even when AI does them better?

Should the job of a UX designer be reserved for humans?

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AI Advances

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Slava Polonski, PhD

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Sep 18

Should we have human-reserved jobs?

The last human jobs — and should some jobs stay human even when AI does them better?

Editorial infographic showing 10 jobs that may remain human even when AI can perform them better, including childcare, healthcare, early education, psychotherapy, counseling, judging, democratic representation, grief counseling, hospitality, and negotiation.

Slava Polonski, PhD

Slava Polonski, PhD

Designing the Behavior of AI Systems | ex Google | Oxford PhD | WEF Expert & Global Shaper | Forbes 30U30 | Technology Writer + Speaker

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