8 Human-1st Principles for Designing with AI

AI/Design for Good is a community-centered movement to inspire more ethical, responsible and human-centered AI. These principles are designed to evolve and be shaped by the collective wisdom of designers, technologists, and change makers. This is a starting point. Let’s build better AI together. Got feedback? We’d love to hear from you.

Benefits Humanity

AI innovation should serve human well-being—offering new ways to solve complex challenges responsibly and meaningfully.

Makes it Better

Simplicity is key. Just because AI can do something doesn’t mean it should. Its use must meaningfully improve the experience beyond what’s possible without it.

Ethically Designed

AI must be designed with a moral compass—when, how, and by whom value judgments are made must be clear throughout development and deployment. Human oversight is imperative.

Earns Trust

Trust is earned through safety. AI must protect users from harm—physical, psychological, or societal. This means building for security, robustness, and responsible data use that anticipates and mitigates risk.

Makes Invisible Visible

AI must be transparent in how it operates. Decisions should be understandable, traceable, and auditable—so people know what’s happening and why.

Learns Responsibly

AI must respect the rights of creators, communities, and cultures. Championing consent, attribution, and fair use—because what we train on shapes what we create.

Honors Beautility

AI experiences should be both beautiful and useful. When form and function align, we create with emotion, clarity, and craft - building technology that feels smart, human, and nurtures engagement.

Builds for Everyone

Design for those most often excluded. When AI is built for the edges, it bends toward justice—ensuring systems that work for everyone.

A starting point for something bigger.
Imagined by Alice Au Quan
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