Organizational Implications ofAutonomy-Mediated Interaction
Abstract
Irresistible pressures are driving the adoption of autonomy. Autonomy lowers costs, increases the agility and tempo of decisions, and augments the capabilities of human actors. 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 advances. This proposal brings together a multi-disciplinary team of experts from psychology, organizational behavior and computer science to investigate how relianceon autonomy shapes individual and organizational decisions. Specifically, we note: 1)Autonomous systems increasingly mediate interactions between human actors, and early evidence suggests this profoundly transforms the nature and consequences of organizational decisions. In particular, we emphasize how autonomy changes perceptions of power between social actors; 2)“Autonomy-mediated interactions” represents an emerging yet underexplored paradigm that falls intoa gap between several existing and established fields. Thus, there is an opportunity to cross-fertilizeheretofore disconnected theoretical perspectives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 19, 2018
- Source ID
- FA95501810182
Entities
People
- Jonathan Gratch
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Southern California