Intelligent interaction design: the role of human‐computer interaction research in the design of intelligent systems

As more intelligent systems are introduced into the marketplace, it is becoming increasingly urgent to consider usability for such systems. Historically, the two fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and human‐ computer interaction (HCI) have had little in common. In this paper, we consider how established HCI techniques can usefully be applied to the design and evaluation of intelligent systems, and where there is an urgent need for new approaches. Some techniques ‐ notably those for requirements acquisition and empirical evaluation ‐ can usefully be adopted, and indeed are, within many projects. However, many of the tools and techniques developed within HCI to support design and theory‐based evaluation cannot be applied in their present forms to intelligent systems because they are based on inappropriate assumptions; there is consequently a need for new approaches. Conversely, there are approaches that have been developed within AI ‐ e.g. in research on dialogue and on ontologies ‐ that could usefully be adapted and encapsulated to respond to this need. These should form the core of a future research agenda for intelligent interaction design.