Designing for Everyone: AI, Disability and the Human Perspective

Podcasts

24 Mar

In this episode of Human in the Loop, Christina Mallon joins us to unpack why disability is best understood as a mismatch between people and systems. We explore inclusive design, responsible AI, and why average users don't exist with a focus on how continuous human oversight matters long after launch.

What You Will Learn:

Disability is a mismatch, not a deficit.
There is no such thing as the “average user”.
Responsible AI means asking hard questions, continuously.
Inclusive design must involve lived experience, not assumptions.
Perfect inclusion is impossible, but progress is essential.
AI can be a powerful force multiplier for accessibility.
Everyone should define their own Responsible AI principles.

Guest bio:
Christina is a Neurodivergent Inclusive Designer with dual arm paralysis. She leads the Inclusive Design team at Microsoft and is a board member of Inclusively & Open Style Lab (Founded at MIT). Her work aims to create technology that empowers. She is currently working on integrating responsible AI and accessibility into products at Microsoft.

Christina's work has received international acclaim and has been featured in several media outlets such as PBS, Vice, Fast Company, CNBC, Vogue, Forbes, and YAHOO!. She has also been a speaker at various events, such as SXSW and The United Nations, on the topic of Inclusive Design. She has won awards from institutions such as the Smithsonian, Fast Company, and Ad Age.