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Comment by sixdimensional

8 days ago

Give users an AI assistant they can ask to navigate them to the right screen or section of the application?

In a previous job, we built our AI assistant so that it could operate our UI in the front-end and it was very powerful.

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sixdimensional

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barbinbrad  8 days ago

like a cmd+k type deal or something different? we do have cmd+k navigation to everywhere currently + global search, but i worry that less sophisticated users might not use it.

  • sixdimensional  8 days ago

    No, I mean, like a copilot style AI assistant, the user can chat with to ask what they want to do, and either the assistant can operate and navigate the UI to the right place, or perhaps even shortcut the steps for the user by asking for questions to satisfy inputs for the thing they are trying to accomplish.

    An example: - user intent is to update an attribute for a component part number A21445

    - user can click a chat bubble icon in lower right and chat to the assistant

    - user describes their intent - "help me update the description for part number A21445

    - system replies by informing the user it will open the right screen, opening a part/component editing UI, with the right part loaded, with the cursor positioned in the description field, and the assistant stays open for further assistance; or;

    - system replies that it found the part and can update the description, shows the current description for the user, asks "what description do you want?"

    - user enters updated description

    - system confirms the change is correct

    - user confirms the change is correct

    - part/component description is updated without even opening the UI

    FWIW, it's great that you have cmd-K and also I've seen those kind of search boxes get more smarts like being able to type "part:A21445" to go directly to a specific UI.

    I just suggested the above as we learned some interesting user experiences became possible when our AI assistant had the ability to control our UI directly on behalf of a specific user.

    An example in the app I worked in (a web based data pipeline tool):

    - "Hey assistant, can you help me add some SQL transformation logic to dataflow ABC, to process the customer data?"

    - system uses metadata and knowledge of the UI to open the right dataflow, select the right type of UI to open to enable the user to add a SQL query in the right place, maybe even autogenerate the initial SQL query - this all from the main home page of the app, from a side panel chat assistant.

    - net result feels like talking to the assistant to operate the app, almost no clicks required.

    I hope that makes sense.

    • kennywinker  7 days ago

      This is a power-user’s nightmare.

      Instead of arranging things in a logical hierarchy, and enabling quick navigation thru keystrokes - just toss out making the ui make sense because the chatbot can solve all.

      Your job is to make a good product. AI-as-interface is just slapping a layer of randomized language parsing in between the user and bad ui.

      I’m not actually saying no chatbots. What I am saying is using a chatbot to solve a usability problem is a massive middle finger to anyone who might have to use your product for 8 hours a day. Make it good, then make it idiot-proof. Don’t make it for idiots only.

      4 replies →

  • aitchnyu  7 days ago

    Please share the feedback for keyboard shortcuts from real users. Now shops in India tend to use touchscreens or have staff fiddle with laptops with tiny touchpads, but lots of shops use ERPs (Tally) with 90s UI that dont need mouse.