Key Learning Points:

  • User experience (UX) refers to the overall impression and feelings a person has when using a service or product. It includes not only ease of use but also a sense of security and enjoyment.
  • Even as AI technology advances, user experience remains just as important. Any mismatch between expectations and actual experience can affect how a service is perceived, so careful attention to detail is essential.
  • Creating an ideal user experience requires trial and error. A concept called “Human-in-the-Loop,” which incorporates human perspectives into design, is gaining attention as a way to improve UX.

The Importance of Comfort in the Age of AI

Imagine visiting a café for the first time. The staff greets you with a warm smile, your order goes smoothly, and even the aroma of the coffee leaves a lasting impression. You might naturally think, “I’d like to come back here.” That feeling of “it was pleasant” or “I want to use it again” is what we call “user experience,” or UX, in the digital world.

What Is UX? A Broader View Beyond Just Usability

User experience refers to the overall impression and emotions someone feels when using a service or product. It’s not just about whether something is easy to use—it also includes whether it’s easy to understand, whether it feels safe, and whether it’s enjoyable. In other words, UX includes not only what happens while using something but also the lingering feelings that remain afterward.

Today, more services are incorporating AI technologies, but this idea of “experience” is becoming even more important. No matter how advanced the technology behind a service may be, if users find it confusing or feel that it doesn’t work as expected, they won’t see it as convenient. In building relationships between people and AI, how users feel becomes the foundation.

UX Considerations in Familiar AI Services

Take smartphone voice assistants as an example. When you ask something like “What’s tomorrow’s weather?” and get an immediate answer, it feels helpful. But what if no matter how many times you ask, all you hear is “I don’t know”? Even if that response is technically correct, not getting the answer you expected can lead to frustration. This kind of mismatch between expectation and reality is one of the major challenges in UX.

On the flip side, even small touches can greatly improve user experience. Something as simple as a button on a screen—its ease of pressing, its responsiveness, its color or shape—can change how people perceive it. For an AI chatbot, even starting with a friendly “Hello!” can shape how users feel about the conversation that follows. These kinds of thoughtful details build familiarity and trust over time.

Of course, creating an ideal user experience takes both time and effort. What feels comfortable varies from person to person—there’s no single right answer. And just because something has many features doesn’t necessarily mean it will be easy to use.

That’s why there’s growing interest in an approach called “Human-in-the-Loop.” This means incorporating human perspectives into design processes so that we don’t overlook emotional reactions or subtle insights that technology alone might miss.

A Human Touch Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI

No matter how advanced AI becomes, it won’t mean much without meaningful points of contact with real people—and those points are where user experience comes into play.

We interact with countless digital tools and services every day. And every now and then we might think: “Hey, this feels nice.” That moment could be a small success story in UX.

Going forward, rather than focusing solely on what technology can do, we’ll need to pay more attention to how it makes us feel. As our interactions with AI grow more common, sensations like ease-of-use or enjoyment will become key elements in making technology feel more approachable.

Looking back on this series so far, each topic we’ve explored seems connected by this thread of “experience.” From now on, whenever you encounter new technologies, try asking yourself: What kind of human feelings lie behind this? That kind of curiosity can lead to deeper learning.

Glossary

User Experience (UX): The overall impression and feelings someone has when using a service or product. It includes not only usability but also aspects like comfort and enjoyment.

UX: Short for User Experience—a concept especially emphasized in digital services that focuses on how users feel during their interaction.

Human-in-the-Loop: An approach that incorporates human perspectives into design processes. Even in advanced tech development like AI, this method emphasizes keeping humans at the center.