Ep. 5 Part 1: The Fragile Science of Human-AI Teams with Professor Krzysztof Gajos

In the first of a two-part conversation, Mahesh welcomes Professor Krzysztof Gajos, lead of the Intelligent Interactive Systems Group at Harvard, to challenge the common assumption that human + AI is always better than either alone.Professor Gajos takes us deep into the fascinating, messy problem space of human-AI collaboration, revealing these configurations to be inherently fragile and contingent. The discussion dissects how specific design failures—including over-reliance on incorrect advice, increased cognitive load, poorly conceived delegation models and interface design—can undermine decision quality, de-skill users and create perverse incentive structures that ultimately undermine the very goals of the systems themselves.Across this wide-ranging conversation, Professor Gajos’ emphasizes the need for worker-centric AI systems that prioritize human competence, learning and autonomy over clamors for what are all too often superficial efficiency gains. Discover why thoughtful AI design must start with a deep understanding of the cognitive work people actually perform.Let's geek out.Follow Mahesh on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/maheshsaptharishiFollow Motorola Solutions on socialLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/motorolasolutionsX: x.com/MotoSolutionsInstagram: instagram.com/motorolasolutionsFacebook: facebook.com/MotorolaSolutionsYouTube: youtube.com/MotorolaSolutionsNever miss an episode by subscribing.Please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts if you liked what you heard!