Designing Multimodal AI Agents: Inside Google DeepMind’s Gemini Live | With Karen Kaushansky

Designing for Conversation in the Age of Multimodal AIIn this episode of the CDI Expert Series: Unprompted, we sit down with Karen Kuczynski, UX lead for Gemini Live at Google DeepMind, to dive into the evolution of design from deterministic flowcharts to open-ended LLMs, the mechanics of building trust in AI, and the role of multimodality in shaping natural, human-like interactions. Karen reflects on her career arc, the resilience it takes to work at the cutting edge, and how designers today must rethink what it means to guide a “conversation” between people and AI systems.This episode explores:How conversational AI is shifting from voice-only to multimodalDesigning Gemini Live, a real-time companion that can see what you see, translate across languages, and collaborate in the momentThe challenge of creating trust frameworks for LLMsWhy voice identity and diversity matter when users form ongoing relationships with AIThe shift from deterministic flowcharts to principles, guidelines, and facilitation between humans and AI modelsThe role of user research and feedback loops in validating hypotheses and iterating productsLessons from designing communication systems for autonomous vehicles and emerging interfacesThis conversation offers a vital perspective, whether you're a veteran in the field or just starting out, on where conversation design has been—and its trajectory in this new era of generative, multimodal AI. The ultimate question after listening is: how do we design conversational experiences that are not only intelligent but genuinely human-centered, adaptive, and trustworthy?Contact UsThanks for tuning in to Unprompted, for more practical lessons, and behind-the-scenes stories, exclusive events, and candid insights, visit our website or follow us on your favorite social platform.Follow us on social media:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/CDInstitute_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Conversation_Design_Institute/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConversationDesignInstitute/ Find out more:Website: https://www.conversationdesigninstitute.comConnect with us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conversation-design-instituteKaren KaushanskyConversational AI/UX Lead at Googlehttps://fr.linkedin.com/in/karenkaushansky