Bridging the AI Learning Gap

When Russell Hampton showed his dad ChatGPT, his dad typed “salmon recipe, please,” as if into a search box. In this essay for Fantasy, Hampton argues that most people are still beginners with AI, and that unless AI products teach people how to use them, the technology will widen the gap between those who can use it well and those who can’t. He proposes three design approaches to close that gap.

1. Personalized interactive learning. The AI coaches users toward better requests as it answers, for example by suggesting they ask for a recipe with specific ingredients or dietary needs.
2. Empathetic UX design. Design for every user’s comfort level and unspoken needs, from the tech-savvy to first-timers, such as offering to read a recipe aloud or convert measurements.
3. Progressive disclosure. Start with the basics and introduce more complex features as each person gets comfortable, the way Duolingo adds harder material over time.