About
Hi, I’m Aaron
an AI Systems Strategist & Usability Expert.
I help teams design AI systems that feel intuitive, trustworthy, and grounded in how people actually think and work.
Background
I’ve spent more than a decade shaping how humans understand and use intelligent tools across Google Search, Google X (Loon), Meta Reality Labs, and work with leading music and creative technology companies. My work has focused on high-complexity domains: reasoning with AI, trust and perception, human–automation teaming, and emerging interfaces that change how people create and collaborate.
My academic background — a PhD in Philosophy and Cognitive Science — gives me a deep grounding in how people experience, interpret, and make sense of intelligent systems. I translate those insights into clear strategies, product decisions, and usability improvements that help teams build AI experiences aligned with real human strengths, needs, and constraints.
Experience includes
- Staff-level UX research and AI systems roles at Google.
- Research work at Meta Reality Labs and X/Loon.
- Advisory work with AI-focused startups and edtech organizations.
- Collaborations with academic and research partners.
How I work
A lot of AI work gets stuck at the level of demos and features. I help teams see the whole system — people, tools, workflows, and models — and move forward with clear, grounded priorities.
What I focus on
- System & behavior analysis. Mapping how the AI behaves today, where it breaks expectations, and where risk accumulates.
- Usability & workflow fit. Understanding how the product actually fits into people’s practices, constraints, and workarounds.
- Trust, expectations, & communication. Designing how the system explains itself and how it signals what it can and can’t do.
- Decision support for leaders. Turning research and system insight into clear, actionable recommendations — including “don’t do this yet” when that’s the right answer.
What it looks like in practice
- Focused working sessions that map systems on a whiteboard and pressure-test decisions.
- Mixed-methods research that reveals how people really use, mis-use, and experience AI-powered tools.
- Frameworks and narratives that make trade-offs, risks, and upside visible to the right stakeholders.
- Lightweight artifacts your team can actually use — not decks that sit in a folder.
I’m most useful when the decisions are ambiguous, the stakes are high, and the team wants clarity without oversimplifying the problem.
A bit more about me
I’m based in Los Angeles and split my time between client partnerships, writing, and long-term research on human reasoning in the age of AI.
My forthcoming book, An Introduction to Embodied Mind: Thinking Outside the Head (Routledge, 2025), translates ideas from philosophy and cognitive science into practical frameworks for designing intelligent systems that think with people, not for them. Outside of work, most of my time is spent with my wife, our son, and our dog — all of whom keep me grounded in the real-world constraints any good system should respect.