Integrating Humans with Intelligent Technologies: Merging Theories of Collaborative Intelligence and Expert Cognition

Intelligent agents and agent –based software are terms that computer science researchers and developers cannot avoid. Many articles tell us how these agents are being developed, as well as what types of tasks they can automatically and autonomously undertake. For instance, your agent will negotiate with my doctor’s agent and mine to make sure that our scheduled meeting doesn’t conflict with my annual checkup. The agents will help improve performance on my job, by monitoring what I do and fail to do. As with many new developments in computer science, little effort has been devoted to researching how users will interact with this army of agents. We interact with many individuals in our work, home, and play environments. We learn the habits and skills of those we interact with frequently and integrate that information into existing knowledge about the world, such that we can anticipate their actions and better deal with changing task demands. For example, when an individual’s workload is high, or when they are ill, we maximize our workforce by off-loading, re-assigning or postponing tasks. In essence, we adapt as those around us develop new skills and undertake new tasks Will our agents be able to do the same? Will agents notice these subtle changes in demand characteristics and develop such flexible adaptation?