Organizational Implications of Autonomy-Mediated Interaction
Abstract
Delegating tasks to autonomous machines and using them to mediate work interactions can offer many benefits, but at what cost? In human organizations, delegating tasks to others increases moral distance from the consequences of one's actions, but it is unclear whether this and related effects will carry over when delegating to machines. Will operating through an autonomous robot further undermine trust, increase risk-taking, reduce vigilance to threats and increase dehumanization of others? Or might it soften or even reverse these effects? What are the implications for power dynamics between humans when inserting autonomous machine representatives into the organizational chain of command? What methods of accountability are most effective when some decision-makers are machines? Social science research is needed to examine the psychological, organizational and cultural impact of these technological advances. With this grant, we are particularly interested in autonomy-mediated interactions. While technology has long allowed people to manage work through technology (e.g. email; videoconferencing), advances in AI allow algorithms to assume many of these managerial functions. These advances present a psychologically, socially, and organizationally unique situation: how do people respond to machines that act on the behalf of leaders or other teammates? This proposal brings together a multi-disciplinary team of experts to investigate how this increasing reliance on autonomy shapes individual and organizational decisions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 25, 2024
- Accession Number
- AD1231006
Entities
People
- Jonathan Gratch
Organizations
- University of Southern California