arXiv subjects

Ron Fulbright

Publications and source records attributed to Ron Fulbright.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Designing the Interactive Memory Archive (IMA): A Socio-Technical Framework for AI-Mediated Reminiscence and Cultural Memory Preservation

This paper introduces the Interactive Memory Archive (IMA), a conceptual framework for AI-mediated reminiscence designed to support cognitive en-gagement among older adults experiencing memory loss. IMA integrates multimodal sensing, natural language conversational scaffolding, and cloud-based archiving within the familiar form of a large format historical picture book. The model theorizes reminiscence as a guided, context-aware interaction eliciting autobiographical memories and preserving them as cul-tural artifacts. The paper positions IMA as a theoretical contribution, articu-lates testable propositions, and outlines a research agenda for future empiri-cal, technical, and ethical inquiry.

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arXiv2024

Does Using ChatGPT Result in Human Cognitive Augmentation?

Human cognitive performance is enhanced by the use of tools. For example, a human can produce a much greater, and more accurate, volume of mathematical calculation in a unit of time using a calculator or a spreadsheet application on a computer. Such tools have taken over the burden of lower level cognitive grunt work but the human still serves the role of the expert performing higher level thinking and reasoning. Recently, however, unsupervised, deep, machine learning has produced cognitive systems able to outperform humans in several domains. When humans use these tools in a human cog ensemble, the cognitive ability of the human is augmented. In some cases, even non experts can achieve, and even exceed, the performance of experts in a particular domain, synthetic expertise. A new cognitive system, ChatGPT, has burst onto the scene during the past year. This paper investigates human cognitive augmentation due to using ChatGPT by presenting the results of two experiments comparing responses created using ChatGPT with results created not using ChatGPT. We find using ChatGPT does not always result in cognitive augmentation and does not yet replace human judgement, discernment, and evaluation in certain types of tasks. In fact, ChatGPT was observed to result in misleading users resulting in negative cognitive augmentation.

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arXiv2023

On the Augmentation of Cognitive Accuracy and Cognitive Precision in Human/Cog Ensembles

Whenever humans use tools human performance is enhanced. Cognitive systems are a new kind of tool continually increasing in cognitive capability and are now performing high level cognitive tasks previously thought to be explicitly human. Usage of such tools, known as cogs, are expected to result in ever increasing levels of human cognitive augmentation. In a human cog ensemble, a cooperative, peer to peer, and collaborative dialog between a human and a cognitive system, human cognitive capability is augmented as a result of the interaction. The human cog ensemble is therefore able to achieve more than just the human or the cog working alone. This article presents results from two studies designed to measure the effect information supplied by a cog has on cognitive accuracy, the ability to produce the correct result, and cognitive precision, the propensity to produce only the correct result. Both cognitive accuracy and cognitive precision are shown to be increased by information of different types (policies and rules, examples, and suggestions) and with different kinds of problems (inventive problem solving and puzzles). Similar effects shown in other studies are compared.

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arXiv2023

Where is the Edge of Chaos?

Previous study of cellular automata and random Boolean networks has shown emergent behavior occurring at the edge of chaos where the randomness (disorder) of internal connections is set to an intermediate critical value. The value at which maximal emergent behavior occurs has been observed to be inversely related to the total number of interconnected elements, the neighborhood size. However, different equations predict different values. This paper presents a study of one-dimensional cellular automata (1DCA) verifying the general relationship but finding a more precise correlation with the radius of the neighborhood rather than neighborhood size. Furthermore, the critical value of the emergent regime is observed to be very close to 1/e hinting at the discovery of a fundamental characteristic of emergent systems.

nlin.CG↗

arXiv2023

The Effect of Information Type on Human Cognitive Augmentation

When performing a task alone, humans achieve a certain level of performance. When humans are assisted by a tool or automation to perform the same task, performance is enhanced (augmented). Recently developed cognitive systems are able to perform cognitive processing at or above the level of a human in some domains. When humans work collaboratively with such cogs in a human/cog ensemble, we expect augmentation of cognitive processing to be evident and measurable. This paper shows the degree of cognitive augmentation depends on the nature of the information the cog contributes to the ensemble. Results of an experiment are reported showing conceptual information is the most effective type of information resulting in increases in cognitive accuracy, cognitive precision, and cognitive power.

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arXiv2022

Calculating Cognitive Augmentation, A Case Study

We are entering an era in which humans will increasingly work in partnership and collaboration with artificially intelligent entities. For millennia, tools have augmented human physical and mental performance but in the coming era of cognitive systems, human cognitive performance will be augmented. We are only just now beginning to define the fundamental concepts and metrics to describe, characterize, and measure augmented and collaborative cognition. In this paper, the results of a cognitive augmentation experiment are discussed and we calculate the increase in cognitive accuracy and cognitive precision. In the case study, cognitively augmented problem solvers show an increase of 74% in cognitive accuracy (the ability to synthesize desired answers) and a 27% increase in cognitive precision (the ability to synthesize only desired answers). We offer a formal treatment of the case study results and propose cognitive accuracy and cognitive precision as standard metrics to describe and measure human cognitive augmentation.

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arXiv2022

Synthetic Expertise

We will soon be surrounded by artificial systems capable of cognitive performance rivaling or exceeding a human expert in specific domains of discourse. However, these cogs need not be capable of full general artificial intelligence nor able to function in a stand-alone manner. Instead, cogs and humans will work together in collaboration each compensating for the weaknesses of the other and together achieve synthetic expertise as an ensemble. This paper reviews the nature of expertise, the Expertise Level to describe the skills required of an expert, and knowledge stores required by an expert. By collaboration, cogs augment human cognitive ability in a human/cog ensemble. This paper introduces six Levels of Cognitive Augmentation to describe the balance of cognitive processing in the human/cog ensemble. Because these cogs will be available to the mass market via common devices and inexpensive applications, they will lead to the Democratization of Expertise and a new cognitive systems era promising to change how we live, work, and play. The future will belong to those best able to communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with cognitive systems.

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arXiv2022

The Expertise Level

Computers are quickly gaining on us. Artificial systems are now exceeding the performance of human experts in several domains. However, we do not yet have a deep definition of expertise. This paper examines the nature of expertise and presents an abstract knowledge-level and skill-level description of expertise. A new level lying above the Knowledge Level, called the Expertise Level, is introduced to describe the skills of an expert without having to worry about details of the knowledge required. The Model of Expertise is introduced combining the knowledge-level and expertise-level descriptions. Application of the model to the fields of cognitive architectures and human cognitive augmentation is demonstrated and several famous intelligent systems are analyzed with the model.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2022

On Measuring Cognition and Cognitive Augmentation

We are at the beginning of a new age in which artificial entities will perform significant amounts of high-level cognitive processing rivaling and even surpassing human thinking. The future belongs to those who can best collaborate with artificial cognitive entities achieving a high degree of cognitive augmenta-tion. However, we currently lack theoretically grounded fundamental metrics able to describe human or artificial cognition much less augmented and combined cognition. How do we measure thinking, cognition, information, and knowledge in an implementation-independent way? How can we tell how much thinking an artificial entity does and how much is done by a human? How can we measure the combined and possible even emergent effect of humans working together with intelligent artificial entities? These are some of the challenges for research-ers in this field. We first define a cognitive process as the transformation of data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. We then review several existing and emerging information metrics based on entropy, processing effort, quantum physics, emergent capacity, and human concept learning. We then discuss how these fail to answer the above questions and provide guidelines for future re-search.

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