CritiqueAI: Challenge AI, Sharpen Thinking

Three questions to the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
The greatest UX challenge is to encourage users to think critically without interrupting the process of using Ai tools. Critical thinking itself requires users to slow down and carefully examine the information at hand. However, the public is used to the convenience offered by AI and receive responses that require no thought. When all AI tools are reinforcing users’ passive habits, it is difficult to compel users to delve deeper into the evidence. We have to think out of the box to create intuitive interface. To overcome this challenge, we undertook a particularly in-depth exploration of human critical thinking patterns and make our design as smooth for users to adopt this novelty workflow.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
In the early stages, our team figure out users’ pain points were more diverse after investigations. We noticed many users just blindly accepted AI answers without any second thoughts. This made us feel completely lost at first because we weren't sure if people actually needed our product. Fortunately, we identified the right solution after in-depth usability test and interviews. The team realised that our product was intended for the education sector and for those who had genuinely recognised that AI was causing ‘brain rot’. Furthermore, we identified a gap in the market of how people currently interact with AI through simple, linear chats. The design we developed strikes a perfect balance between convenience and critical thinking.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
We firmly believe that this project will become a pioneer in guiding the public towards a more conscious use of AI. Our position is clear: treat AI as a tool, not a replacement for your own mind.The true value of technology lies in its speed and convenience. We must leverage these strengths to build things faster while protecting our independent thinking. AI generated answers are repetitive ideas and loses its unique points. People should use Ai as an intelligent assistant instead of consuming information like fast food. They should form their own perspective, and build deeper understanding. We aim to guide users towards engaging in in-depth interactions with AI and helping users to develop their own unique perspectives.