Open Interpreter

Overview

Open Interpreter is a software that operates computers using AI language models, enabling them to understand natural language requests and execute tasks on the user's behalf. The 01 Lite is a portable device that allows users to operate their computer remotely through this system using voice commands.

Challenge

Release the first open-source competitor to the Rabbit r1 within 8 weeks.

Users

  • Open-source developers

  • AI enthusiasts

Role

I was responsible for UX Research and Design.

Process

A small group of applicants were selected to contribute to the project. We met to review the mission and discuss our approach.


Chicken and the Egg

We didn’t want to delay development unless absolutely necessary. Since the user interface was inherently minimalistic (push button, microphone) we discussed the basic architecture, then split into groups so the developers could start building the foundation, and the designers could sync on strategy.

What design conventions?

Typically you want to know who you’re designing for. But what if you’re designing Artificial General Intelligence? If it can do anything for anyone, then where do we start?

We explored the possibility of designing user personas across spectrums. This gave us structure while also leaving room for variation.

We categorized spectrums based on:

  • Person (the user)

  • Need (the interaction point)

  • External Context (the environment)

Then we visualized them as spider charts to see personas and use cases at a quick glance.

Speeding things up

Making these matrices was going to take a lot of time. I asked AI to help.

Bonus

This was also an intuitive way for users to mark where they lie on each spectrum during user interviews.

Outcome

I ran tests to input user requests along with the corresponding spectrum states, and record the output from the 01 Operating System. We observed the resulting response to be more aligned with user intent when the initial request was sent with their spectrum states attached.

Reflections

While Open Interpreter made the decision to formally sunset the 01 device in favor of the new desktop application, I learned a lot about working with a large team of open-source developers, and I call upon these research concepts often in my designs for AI systems.

Explore the Project

Watch the announcement video to learn more about 01, visit the Open Interpreter Github, or watch the behind-the-scenes video below.