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Ethotic heuristics & AI’s narrative
Exploring the rhetoric behind human identity computing
“An orator must not only know what to say, but must also give life to his words through his very presence.” — Quintillian
To frame this post, let me introduce myself — of course you can see my name above, so here is a bit more about me. I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Waterloo, Canada, where I study computational rhetoric, specifically in the context of AI-powered design. My research focuses on the underlying computations that inform decision-making processes and how they are inherently rhetorical in nature. As part of this work, I’ve coined several terms, including algorithmic ethopoeia — which examines how AI itself is rhetorical — and ethotic heuristics, the subject of my upcoming book, which explores how we constrain AI’s ability to characterize humans based on their data.
My perspective is also shaped by nearly 20 years as a design research leader and strategist, leading advanced design teams at three multinational companies. You can read more about my research…
