<p>This might be our most giggly conversation yet. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia2joy/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Alicia Quan</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmondestin/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Sarah Mondestin</a> interview <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabel-blake/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Annabel Blake</a> (they/them), Principal AI Design Researcher at Canva.</p><p>The three discuss connections throughout Annabel’s career and life, touching on various topics like research, kids, play, AI, ethics, toys, authorship, and advice for designers and researchers working the spaces of education and AI. </p><p>So much gold in this one!</p><p><br></p><p><strong>About Annabel</strong></p><p>Annabel works on conversational interfaces, generative experiences for education and on early R&amp;D. Annabel’s work lives at the intersection of research, design, and play and includes studying how young people experiment with AI recreationally and how they use it for fun, comfort, and creativity. Annabel also writes “strange little books for children, like a book you wear on your head or a story about a robot goat… that comes with a chatbot goat (called Sardine!).”</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Annabel’s Links</strong></p><p><a href="https://bigkidlab.substack.com/">⁠Playful Futures⁠</a></p><p><a href="http://annabelblake.com">⁠annabelblake.com⁠</a></p><p><a href="http://bookandbot.com">⁠bookandbot.com⁠</a> </p><p><a href="https://substack.com/@centerforhumanetechnology">⁠Center for Humane Technology⁠</a> </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p>00:00 - Annabel&#39;s Squiggly Career Path</p><p>03:14 - Olympic Journey and Injury</p><p>04:42 - Reflections on Career Squiggles</p><p>06:07 - Intersection of Research, Design, and Play</p><p>08:38 - Kids and AI: Restoration and Exploration</p><p>12:46 - Children&#39;s Books and Technology</p><p>17:39 - Young People and AI: Surprising Uses</p><p>21:39 - Designing for AI vs. Traditional UX</p><p>28:17 - Co-Design and Early Access Testing</p><p>32:48 - Educators and AI Tools</p><p>36:22 - Innovative Teachers and Their Challenges</p><p>39:24 - The Importance of Playfulness in Education</p><p>46:11 - AI in Education: Balancing Innovation and Ethics</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Follow us</strong></p><p>👋The <a href="https://www.uxedtech.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">UX of EdTech Studio</a> teams up to support companies with product design, UX research, and UX writing.</p><p>UX of EdTech is an engine for broader impact through its growing community, podcast, and newsletter dedicated to advancing design in education. Follow to find talent and opportunities.</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ux-of-edtech" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn</a></p><p><a href="http://publication" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Community Publication</a></p><p><a href="https://uxedtech.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Newsletter</a></p><p><br></p>