Ethics & Ethnography in Conversational AI: Teaching Machines to Listen | With Dr. Liz Rodwell

Designing Human-Centered Conversational AI | Ethics, Education, and EthnographyIn this episode of the CDI Expert Series: Unprompted, we sit down with Dr. Liz Rodwell, anthropologist, UX researcher, and Associate Professor of Digital Media at the University of Houston, to explore how education, ethics, and ethnography shape the way we design and teach conversational AI. Liz brings years of research across classrooms, labs, and cross-cultural fieldwork to show why human insight still matters in an era of large language models.We talk about how teaching design mirrors teaching AI, what cultural awareness means for globally deployed systems, and why the future of conversation design depends on thoughtful, critical, human-centered practices.This episode also covers:- How LLMs are changing the skillset conversation designers need today- Why empathy and communication are still essential- Ethnographic research for uncovering cultural blind spots in AI systems- How educators and learners can help AI better understand nuance, context, and intent- The evolving relationship between design craft and model behavior- How to stay grounded in ethics while working in fast-moving AI environments- Why teaching AI to “listen” starts with teaching humans to notice more- Practical ways to bring cultural/linguistic sensitivity into real-world AIThis episode offers a grounded look at how culture, context, and human insight can shape the next generation of conversational systems. So after listening, the question becomes: how do we design and teach AI systems that are not only intelligent, but deeply aware of the human contexts they operate within?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-instituteProf. Elizabeth (Liz) Rodwell,https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizrodwellMedia Anthropologist, Educator, Director of UX Lab at University of Houston