Augmenting Human Cognition with Computing Discussion @VT
I started Papert Lab after observing the lack of interest among many academics, researchers, and students in exploring the potential of computers—particularly artificial intelligence systems—in augmenting human cognition and problem solving. As cognitive scientists, HCI researchers, students, and academics, we are uniquely positioned to design AI systems that improve how we learn, work, research, and communicate. Yet, as I become more involved with academia and higher education, I worry that we often get absorbed by the minutia of a Ph.D. or class and forget about the societal implications of our research. If we call ourselves “human-computer interaction” researchers, we cannot fail to address one of history’s most transformative technologies and its implications on human cognition.
Unfortunately, this is (like all things) more easily said than done, especially given the demanding workload of being a student researcher. However, since many of us are (hopefully) slightly less busy over the summer, this seems like an optimal opportunity to establish an ongoing ritual of addressing the issue of augmenting human cognition. Specifically, I am doing this through a weekly discussion group, where we will read essays and papers, discuss their implications, and create tools that actualize some of these broader challenges through discussing actionable projects. Thus, the purpose of the discussion group is twofold:
Studying past inflection points of fields deciding to pursue important questions (rather than more trivial ones), how they were approached, and the motivations of the researchers who chose to tackle the complex problems prepares us to make similar choices when the opportunities present themselves. Indeed luck favors the prepared mind, and by studying history, we are artificially increasing our probability of luck by preparing ourselves for taking decisive action.
Creating an intellectually vibrant milieu (the culture contained in your unique set of connections) of academics, students, and practitioners who relentlessly explore the unglamorous and non-trivial topics lying at the intersection between artificial intelligence and human cognition is essential to developing a culture that values these sorts of existential questions. When institutions stop valuing the ethos of their student’s research and fail to reward these non-trivial topics, we gravitate towards more trivial research that doesn’t achieve what we set out to do.
I am researching AI-assisted programming education with Prof. David H. Smith this summer at Virginia Tech, and while I’m here (and onwards), I find it important to dedicate a considerable amount of time exploring the broader implications of my work, which revolves around augmenting human cognition. I suspect this underlying objective is similar for many of my peers in HCI. For example, I am currently exploring AI systems that augment human cognition through constructionism, scaffolded metacognition, and interactive scenarios. I also situate my current research in the context of these future paradigms, and take notes on thought leaders like Andy Matuschak, Michael Nielsen, Seymour Papert, and Douglas Engelbart, all researchers who have done great work at the intersection of computers and human cognition.
The Logistics
I am hosting a discussion group on augmenting human cognition with computers. Here are the details:
Day: Saturday
Time: 11am
Location: Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea
Who: Undergraduate and graduate researchers (e.g. REU participants, Ph.D. students, etc.)
We are initially limiting attendance to ten attendees, and may increase spots as we gauge interest.
— Hudson, Papert Lab