Personalization Without the Creep Factor: Designing Human-Centered AI with Keri Rich, VP of Product at Lucidworks

What does it really mean to feel seen by an AI?

In this episode of The Augmented Life, Michael Tiffany is joined by Keri Rich, VP of Product at Lucidworks, to unpack one of the thorniest challenges in AI: how to personalize experiences without making users feel stalked.

Together, they explore:

• Why great personalization is more than remembering that you like ice cream
• The difference between helpful context and creepy overreach
• How brands are walking the tightrope between relevance and privacy
• The evolution of AI product design—from UX to AI Experience Design
• The role of AI agents as “personal lore keepers”
• Why building trustworthy AI is about control, transparency, and earned intimacy

They also go deep on the unexpected challenges of building agentic products, tuning retrieval systems for personality, and why the real magic lies in designing systems that feel human… but not too human.

If you’re thinking about the future of AI, product leadership, or just want to understand where personalized tech is heading next—this one’s for you.

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