usability testing
What It Means
Usability testing involves watching real users try to accomplish actual tasks with your AI system while researchers observe and document what works and what doesn't. It's about putting your AI product in front of people who would actually use it and seeing where they get confused, frustrated, or succeed.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
Poor usability can kill AI adoption regardless of how technically sophisticated your models are - users will simply abandon tools they find confusing or inefficient. Usability testing helps identify these friction points before they become expensive customer support issues or cause users to reject your AI solutions entirely.
Real-World Example
A bank's AI-powered loan application chatbot might work perfectly in demos, but usability testing reveals that customers consistently get stuck when the bot asks for 'employment verification documentation' because they don't understand what specific documents are needed, leading to 60% of applications being abandoned.
Common Confusion
Many teams confuse usability testing with user acceptance testing or think that internal team members can substitute for real users. Testing with actual end users who aren't familiar with your system reveals completely different issues than testing with your own employees.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare AI, usability testing must ensure clinical workflows are enhanced rather than disrupted, requiring testing...
Finance: In finance, usability testing for AI systems must evaluate not only user experience but also compliance with regulations...
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Includes:
- 6 industry-specific applications
- Relevant regulations by sector
- Real compliance scenarios
- Implementation guidance
Technical Definitions
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"refers to evaluating a product or service by testing it with representative users. Typically, during a test, participants will try to complete typical tasks while observers watch, listen and takes notes. The goal is to identify any usability problems, collect qualitative and quantitative data and determine the participant's satisfaction with the product."Source: Usabilitygov
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