folk-theorization

The purpose of the interview is to discuss human-AI interaction and the features of YouTube. They discuss how the AI behind the features works and how the user wants to have more control over the AI based on their preferences. The interviewee is a software engineer with some knowledge of AI and experience with AI products. They talk about the different features of YouTube and how the recommendations are made based on watch history and subscriptions. They also discuss the possibility of having a concise list of options at the top of the homepage and the ability to remove certain tips. Hi Tarla, thanks for joining. Hi Tarla, welcome. So basically I will introduce the purpose of this interview. Basically we are trying to conduct basically a human-AI interaction session. And we will go through some features of YouTube. And we will try to find out how these features are working. And how the AI behind those features is working. And what are your thoughts on that. And how you want that AI to be more controllable as per your likes, dislikes, as per your subscriptions, things like that. So basically it would be an open-ended session. You can stop me wherever something is not clear. And basically I will ask you to just introduce yourself. I mean in terms of whether you have some AI background, you have some CS background or whatever. I mean what is your understanding of AI and your experience with different AI products, things like that. Okay. Okay, so please go ahead and introduce yourself a bit. My name is Kalhaq Swan. I am currently a software engineer working at Discourse Analytics. I cannot say that I have a deep knowledge of AI products. But I have done some work in my bachelor's degree program. And I can say I know the basic concepts behind AI. How it is working. How it can automate things for humans. And these sort of things like one of the examples is Chair GVT. It's AI to give us some results. Okay. So right now your role is a software engineer or an AI engineer at Discourse Analytics? Yes, my role is software engineer as I am participating in different domains. So software engineer is more likely to be called. Okay. So is it some web development, some Python scripts, front-end development? What is that? Actually it involves back-end development using ASP.NET Core, creating web APIs, these sort of things. And the other part includes Python scripting. Mainly it is also some sort of API. Like I write script in Python. I use APIs to fetch data. And I pass it to the ETL pipeline. Then fetch results. You can say it's a whole complete pipeline for me. So it's a data analytics pipeline, right? Yes, exactly. Awesome. Okay. So if you please share your screen so we can go over the YouTube features. And I'll ask some questions like how each feature is working as per your understanding. And then we can, I mean, expand on that. It is giving me the hosted disabled participant screen share. Just a moment. Let me make you. Yeah. Now you are the co-host. Hopefully you'll be able to. So I can open YouTube. Yeah, I think. Okay. So on YouTube homepage, what you think? How it's, I mean, how it's making these recommendations. I mean, why are you seeing all these videos on the homepage? I mean, are you okay with that? Is this something random? Is some AI is working behind the scene or what's that? Yes, I think so. Because yesterday I watched some of these videos. So I'm getting these kind of suggestions. I also listen to the song. So I am also getting this on top of it. Because, yeah, go ahead, please. I think I like football. I watch. Okay. So like you, you also like the football. Yes, I like it very much. But I don't get these things. Because these don't come with my watches. I think these are for something because. Okay. Okay. So just a quick question. I mean, these are short videos, right? You have to see a random. If you go over there, I mean, the shorts. So, okay. So if you go to the second tab, I mean, the right menu shorts. Just below the home. Yeah, if you go there, would you be able to see the same sequence of videos? You scroll a bit. No, actually, these are related to football, which I like. Okay. So these are. Some are personalized, right? These are not something you want to see. Yes, these are not. These are related to football or some kind of sports, maybe. But I think these are, they contain a sequence in them. So how, I mean, how they contain a sequence or I mean, how they are recommended as per your test. What do you think would be, I mean. As it is heard, it is said that whatever you, in these days, whatever you watch most. Or even think. Whatever you watch or even discuss with friends, you would be getting, right? I don't get it. Whenever I discuss something, like he is sitting beside me, I discuss something with him. And all of a sudden I got recommendation of that product or that thing. I don't get it. But by looking at this, I can say that if I watch some videos. So I get recommendation of these kind of videos more. Okay. So if you go back to home screen. So. If this home screen contains something, I mean. Some videos from subscriptions or these are just based on the watch history. I think these are just based on watch history. Because subscription. I don't think I don't have, I have a subscription or I. Maybe. Maybe because I subscribe some of these kind of YouTube. Like searching for scholarship, masters and graduate. But these are more. These are random basically. These are not, you know, aligned to your likes, dislikes. But when last couple of months, I watched lots of videos for these scholarships. And in those days, I got lots of recommendation of these kind of videos. Okay. So more and more these kind of videos came to me. And. Every time I open YouTube, there is another YouTube video. Explaining about how to get scholarship. And for masters degree, for PhD. Okay. Got it. So basically, I think there is, I mean, there is a little. But I would say little bullet at the top. Saying all. So all of, I mean, these videos are mixed for all of these next bullets. I mean, these all, all of the options are, you know, somehow rank. And then recommend it to you, maybe. So would you like to, I mean. Just, I mean, select one of those options instead of all the videos. If you. Yeah. Hmm. So now I think these are pretty, pretty much specified. Yes, I think these are filtered videos only related to computer science. Like study for this. Yeah. I mean, now you have, if you go back to the all, all option. And now, don't you think, I mean, most of these. Options are irrelevant, like live mixes. Maybe sports leagues. That exists in the series. I mean, would you like to, I mean, just. Cancel some of these options that are appeared on the top. Or all of them are fine. Actually, these, these options, I just focused on these options. I never. So, so. I mean, you didn't even. Noticed. But what if you have. I mean, pure options, so you should be able to, you know. Filter videos based on that rather than seeing this messed up home screen. It would be good if I. Got a very little. Size list, maybe. Yes, maybe. Or if you go to subscriptions, do you have any subscriptions or you don't, I mean, use that option. I don't remember. But. I don't remember. But. I haven't subscribed to any of these. Oh, OK. But. OK, if you if you go to the top. I mean, at the top of the subscriptions page. So, you have the option to manage here. So, now, these are the these are subscriptions you made, maybe in the in the past. So. That one is Alex, the analyst. And data, data analyst guy. So, yeah, these are some. Subscription, but I think you, you made subscriptions. Sometimes in the sometime in the past. But nowadays, you don't really focus on that. Right. So, subscription data is not. Actually, I have subscribed it and I got notifications whenever he post a video. But I haven't watched his videos recently. So, I think that's what it is not coming. It is not in the recommendation in the homepage. OK. So, would you like to? I mean. Would you like to see recommendations based on these subscriptions at the home screen? Maybe at the top of I mean, at the top tips, there are some some alternatives. Some some are generated. You know, levels are there like next series or whatever. Do you think it should be something like subscriptions should be there or it would be relevant? I think this this option is necessary. And. As this filter will get those videos, which are according to which channels are subscribed. So, I think it should be there. OK. Awesome. OK. So, if you. If you go back to home screen and let me know, I mean, how it should be there based on your requirements. So, instead of these so many options, there should be fewer options. Right. I mean, at the top, there should be, you know, something reasonable. I mean, something concise list of options. Right. These are so much options. Actually, have you noticed these? This list is just updated because I mean, these things were not visible to me before. Like this. He is editing the list and. This Alan Walker comes in and. This Indian folk music. So, yes. These were. OK. So, these were not here before. You basically just. Scroll some videos, maybe pause a bit on some video. And this basically list is updated. Right. Yes. Actually, this. This home page is also updated. Mm hmm. So, if you scroll every every update, this list is updated, too. Mm hmm. So, if you pause for a moment, maybe for more than 10 seconds, then it's updated or. It came, I mean. What do you think? I mean, how is working on that? To update these. Based on making. Yeah. I think. It is good. More related videos. Mm hmm. So, these are not related. But if you maybe cause a little force on some video, it thinks you are interested in that. Even though you didn't open that video. Mm hmm. Is that correct? Or you are thinking something else? Yes, I think the same. As I have just forwarded over this tab and this video has started to play. And I think this also counts that I have watched 0.19 seconds. Maybe. Yeah, maybe. OK. Awesome. So, my findings till now. One. There should be a concise list at the top. And it should be. I mean, half of them should be from subscriptions. And half of them might be from the past history. And. This should make a sense to each user. Right now, I don't have any idea where they are coming from. I don't know what that means. OK. So, another option could be like. You should be able to get. I mean, you should be able to remove these tips, right? Yes. I think. Level. One good thing is. First, ask the user about his interest. Then show him the videos described. And these videos should be labeled here. Like, if I am interested in Portugal. One should be Portugal. One scores. One university. And what are the other major elements. These should not be here. OK. So, only it should. It might ask you to add these new suggestions. But should not do that automatically. Right? Yes. OK. Awesome. And. Maybe after. After this first default selected all. Instead of mixes. We might have subscriptions, right? Yes. You should be easily able to navigate to the subscriptions. OK. Awesome. OK. So, I mean. Now, the next thing is. You are seeing those irrelevant videos. Right? Maybe shorts are more irrelevant. So. Would you like. To somehow control these. I mean. Should there be a way to. I mean. Update these. I mean. Make them also subjective. Based on your test. There should be. Only those recommendations. That you think are relevant. Actually. One issue here is. With these deals. Yes. Watching. I am talking about. That one. Yeah. Yes. If I'm watching this. I start watching from there. Then. So, for some time. And. Start. To show me some. In the middle of that. And when I watch one. I mean. That I'm. In that sequence. Which I started from here. Yeah. Go ahead. If you. Yeah. Go ahead. I watched one. I watched one video. This. Of this kind. Then second video. Came to me like this. Then third video. Fourth video. Then eventually. An Islamic video. Comes in. And. That. All. I mean. I start to see. All Islamic videos. In that sequence. So. I don't. I cannot. I cannot. I cannot. Understand the sequence. That I start. From there. And I went. Somewhere else. Okay. Basically. Basically. What I'm getting is. You. What are you saying is. Something. Inappropriate. Is. It's a condition. That is higher. Compared to something. That is. You know. Ethical. Or something. You know. Educational. Or. Scientific. That is. Less. Likely. To be recommended. But. Something. You know. Something. Inappropriate. Or something. You know. To. Address. The audience. Maybe. I mean. It's. Really. Awkward. Or. You know. Something. Really surprising. Or inappropriate. That would be. Recommended. Highly. Right. Yes. Yes. Okay. I understand. Why. That is. The case. Is there something. I mean. Audience. Around you. In that. Geographic location. Are they watching. These videos. That's why. They are. Recommended. To you. As well. Or. Is it. Something else. Yes. I think. This. This can be. Affected to. The geographical location. But. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. 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