Leticia Segateli | Practice Design Lead
Inspired by AWS Summit Sydney 2026, session IDE102.
Before attending AWS Summit Sydney 2026, I honestly expected most conversations to focus on infrastructure, engineering and cloud technology. And while those topics were definitely everywhere, what surprised me most was how deeply human many of the conversations about AI actually were.
As a UX Designer, that was exciting to see.
Across the summit, there were countless examples of organisations transforming products, services and internal operations with AI. What stood out wasn’t just the technology itself, but how quickly AI is becoming embedded into everyday experiences. It’s no longer limited to chat interfaces or experimental tools. AI is shaping healthcare experiences, customer support journeys, logistics, retail, operations, marketing and the way people make decisions at work every day.
Start with people, not the technology
But after two intense days of workshops, breakout sessions and customer stories, my biggest takeaway was this:
We shouldn’t start with AI. We should start with people and their problems.
For me, that is the core of the UX design role. Technology is only valuable when it genuinely improves the way people work, communicate, make decisions or experience a product or service. The most impactful conversations at AWS Summit weren’t about replacing humans with AI, they were about designing better experiences around human needs, supported by AI in thoughtful and responsible ways.
That mindset came through strongly in many of the sessions and customer examples presented throughout the summit. Yes, there were impressive outcomes. Faster decision making. Significant operational efficiencies. Major cost reductions. But the organisations creating real impact weren’t simply adding AI because it was trending. They were solving meaningful problems for real people.
The role of design in the AI era
For me, that’s where design becomes even more important in this new era.
As designers, we now have an opportunity to help shape entirely new interactions between humans and technology. We are designing how people collaborate with AI, how they search for information, how they build trust in automated systems, and how they remain informed and accountable while using increasingly intelligent tools.
And accountability matters.
One thing AWS Summit reinforced for me is that humans still remain responsible for the outcomes AI produces. No matter how advanced the technology becomes, people are still the ones making decisions, validating outputs and carrying responsibility for impact. That means good design cannot only focus on efficiency. It also needs to focus on clarity, trust, accessibility and responsible use.
Innovation still depends on human connection
Another highlight of the summit was something much simpler, but equally important: connection.
After years of working with many people remotely, finally meeting teammates, customers and AWS partners face to face reminded me how valuable human relationships still are in a rapidly evolving digital world. Innovation happens faster when people connect openly, share ideas and learn from each other.
That’s why I believe the future of AI is not only about better technology. It’s about people developing the skills, confidence and critical thinking needed to use these tools responsibly and creatively.
The technology will continue evolving quickly. But the organisations that succeed will be the ones that keep humans at the centre of innovation.
And honestly, I think the best is still ahead of us.
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We would love the opportunity to connect and understand more about the problems you are trying to solve.
Adrian Cambpell
Associate Partner, AI
Martin Campbell
Managing Partner
Get in touch to coordinate a meeting with one of our technical experts.
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