Human Capability Augmentation through Cognitive and Autonomous Systems

The Covid-19 pandemic reminds us again about our limited knowledge and understanding in the nature including both micro and macro worlds. We have been developing a variety of tools such as automation, robotics, internet, and artificial intelligence (AI), etc. to augment human capability for improved safety, quality, and productivity in work and life, but human lives are still vulnerable over 100 years since the last Spanish Flu in 1918. We are even more vulnerable when the tools we developed (e.g., automation and AI) do not understand human intent or follow human instructions. Recent accidents to the Boeing 737 Max passengers ring the alarm again about the imperative needs of appropriate design concepts and scientific methodologies for developing safety critical cognitive and/or autonomous systems or AI functions and collaborative partnership of human and intelligent systems. With AI and its related technologies reach their bottleneck, it is even more vital to follow scientific and systematic methodology to understand well about capacity and limitation of both human intelligence and machine intelligence so that their strengths can be optimized for a collaborative partnership when dealing with safety critical situations. This talk discusses about the needs for the researchers, designers, developers, and all practitioners who are interested in building and using 21st century human-autonomy symbiosis technologies (Why). It touches the topics of proper analytical methodologies for functional requirements of the intelligent systems, design methodologies, implementation strategies, evaluation approaches, and trusted relationships (How). These aspects will be explained with real-world examples when considering contextual constraints of technology, human capability and limitations, and functionalities that AI and autonomous systems should achieve (When). Audience will gain insights of context-based and interaction-centered design approach for developing a safe, trusted, and collaborative partnership between human and technology by optimizing the interaction between human intelligence and AI. The challenges and potential issues will also be discussed for guiding future research and development activities when augmenting human capabilities with AI, and cognitive and/or autonomous systems.