In HCI ambiguity is often perceived as the nemesis of usefulness and usability. Instead of regarding ambiguity as a problem, the authors suggest that it can be sees as an opportunity in the context of emerging application for everyday life (alternatives to task-oriented forms of ubiquitous computing). Indeed, ambiguity can make a virtue out of technical limitations by providing the grounds for peoples interpretations to supplement them.

Ambiguity is an attribute of the interpretation of fuzziness or inconsistency. Things themselves are not inherently ambiguous. However, they may give rise to multiple interpretations depending on their precision, consistency and accuracy on the one hand, and the identity, motivations, and expectations of an interpreter on the other.