Cambridge Festival: Using Conversational AI for Problem Identification

Join the Centre for Human-Inspired AI at the Cambridge festival for this session, which introduces attendees to a new, interactive way of exploring complex challenges before jumping to solutions. Traditional problem-solving often assumes we already understand the problem, but in many industries, especially healthcare and public services, the real challenge is uncovering the right problem together.

We will demonstrate a gamified conversational AI tool designed to support teamwork, spark curiosity, and make collaborative problem identification faster, more engaging, and more inclusive, even for those unfamiliar with AI.

What Will Happen During the Session

1. Short Introductory Talk (≈5 minutes)

• What “problem discovery” is and why it matters

• How conversational AI can support effective communication and creative alignment

2. Facilitated Small-Group Activity (≈15 minutes per slot)

• Groups of 2–5 participants interact with the AI, which guides them through steps of gamified activities with real time conversations. Activities aimed to:

✓ Sharing perspectives

✓ Spotting overlapping challenges

✓ Grouping and comparing priorities

• This activity requires no prior AI knowledge. Engagement is as simple as typing responses.