Ella Fitzsimmons – What can Magic Teach Us about AI?

“By adding AI to software we can create something magical.”

Ella Fitzsimmons cleverly draws parallels between AI and how magic has been used, portrayed and worked in  medieval courts and beyond. It is something that we are fascinated by – a great power that allows us to create something from “thin air” with minimum work. She suggests that we as a collective need to deepen our understanding of AI. This allows us to no longer see the magic, that is AI, as a threat to humanity. Similarly she compares it to the knowledgeable people who were mistreated in the past because of their special “magical” abilities.  

But, how can we harness the potential of AI, and how should we manage the changes it brings to our world? Fitzsimmons underlines the need to learn from the past and reflect on where we want to be in the future. System designers need to consider the users first to be able to leverage that power to create a magical experience for them.