ULTRA: User-Friendly and Trustworthy AI

AI offers tremendous opportunities, but practical implementation often falls short. End users remain hesitant towards AI-driven applications due to a lack of transparency, control, and trust. AI systems frequently operate as "black boxes", leaving users without insight into how decisions are made. Flemish companies also struggle with two critical questions: how do you design AI interfaces that users genuinely trust, and how can generative AI tools be responsibly integrated into the design process without compromising privacy or compliance?

ULTRA aims to accelerate AI adoption among end users through two complementary pillars. On the one hand, we investigate how AI interfaces should be designed to foster user trust and AI literacy. On the other hand, we analyse how generative AI tools can be responsibly integrated into the design process and user research.

• Systematic analysis of existing design patterns, validated through controlled user studies for three common interface types: conversational interfaces (such as chatbots), data visualisations (such as AI prediction dashboards), and adaptive interfaces.
• Practical validation in real-world Flemish business contexts, with at least six representative implementations developed and thoroughly evaluated using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Co-creation workshops with companies from various sectors to ensure that all developed guidelines are directly applicable within the Flemish context and aligned with the EU AI Act.

• An interactive AI design guide featuring concrete implementation examples, reusable design patterns, and practical checklists that are immediately applicable for Flemish SMEs.
• An online evaluation framework and selection wizard to help companies choose and implement suitable AI tools based on privacy, security, and compliance criteria.
• Validated design guidelines for user-friendly AI interfaces, scientifically supported through empirical studies and real-world validation in Flemish companies.
• Broad knowledge dissemination through workshops, demonstrators, and integration into higher education curricula.