This month, Lindsey DeWitt Prat, PhD, Senior UX Researcher at Bold Insight, will present with Olivia Nercy Ndlovu Lucas from Mantaray Africa, Christopher Golias from Google, and Mia Lewis, a user experience researcher and independent scholar, at EPIC2024, a premier international conference on ethnography in business and organizations. The presentation, Decolonizing LLMs: An Ethnographic Framework for AI in African Contexts, will integrate insights from their collective research endeavors, grounded in a peer-reviewed publication that emphasizes the imperative for ethnographic insights in LLM research. 

“We pushed ourselves to look across time and space at two complex worlds—emerging technology and Africa—and find fresh angles on risks and opportunities that can open the door to exploration and co-creation,” said DeWitt Prat. “We also wanted to give back and be of service, so we created a practical toolkit for doing research on LLMs that puts inclusivity and a decolonized worldview front and center.” 

This work is timely and important. As generative AI tools like LLMs spread globally, ethnographers and tech folks need a critical lens through which to view the assumptions that are built into English-centric LLMs and solid tools to do research that will help us find an ethical and productive path forward that benefits everyone, not just English speakers.  

DeWitt Prat, renowned for her expertise in localization and cultural insights across over 20 countries, brings extensive experience in navigating global UX challenges. In the past year, she led a comprehensive 24-country research program on the impact of AI tools in global research. For detailed findings from the study, watch the webinar recording and download the full whitepaper report.  

EPIC2024 will take place August 18-21, 2024, in Los Angeles. Visit the event website to register and learn more.

About EPIC
EPIC is a nonprofit organization and global community powered by members and volunteers. Working in diverse disciplines and roles, they are unified by an ethnographic approach to innovation that is anchored in deep understandings of culture and human behavior.  

About Bold Insight
Bold Insight is a UX and human factors research agency based in Chicago and London. We execute projects that span the product development life cycle, conducting user research that informs early product design and global human factors validation. We work with digital, next-generation technology—medical devices, mobile apps, IFUs, and customer journeys. Reach out!