Design Evenings NYC: The Real Role of AI in UX

In this session, Erin Essex, Senior Interaction Designer at Google, examined how AI was transforming the UX process, highlighting how designers could use emerging tools to enhance creativity, efficiency, and empathy while navigating the real-world limitations and ethical challenges of AI-driven design.

 

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  Erin Essex

  Senior Interaction Designer

  

  Erin is a Senior Interaction Designer at Google, where she focuses on the YouTube creator experience. She previously worked on the Google Ads team, designing AI- and machine learning–powered tools that help users partner with technology in ways that build trust and efficiency. With a background in psychology and experience across agencies, startups, and companies like Shutterstock and MongoDB, where she served as Director of Product Design, Erin brings a uniquely human-centered approach to her work. Her design philosophy is rooted in empathy and behavior, creating experiences that are functional, meaningful, and enjoyable across a wide range of products.