Generative AI strategy, user experience, and consulting. San Francisco, California

Personalized AI

Large language models provide users a generic experience. Their responses may be specific to the user's prompt, but they come from a one-size-fits-all base model. The promise of personalized AI and of AI assistants in particular is thus of special interest.

I believe that presence is actually one of the design features AI assistants will aim for. In human social interaction, co-presence is characterized by availability, which is in turn shown by interest and attention. This attention can be active and engaging, or passive and "civil." People can acknowledge and "be" with one another whilst being inattentive and undemanding.

Personalized AI will want to build on a repertoire of these aspects presence. AI will want to be able to show that it is there while not demanding interaction; it will want to show attention without requiring it in return. And most importantly, it will want to demonstrate familiarity with the user and his/her personal habits, pastimes, and interests.