Collaborative Intelligence: Leveraging Human-AI Cooperation

What’s Collaborative Intelligence?

You probably encounter artificial intelligence (AI) every day. Social media, voice assistants (“Hi, Siri!”), spell checkers, navigation apps—even the search engine that you used to find this website are all powered by AI. “Smart” technology has virtually infinite uses. But there is one constant:

Artificial Intelligence Doesn't Work Alone

AI-powered technology needs you to direct it. Without you, it’s as useless as a baseball glove without a player holding it. On the other hand, without AI, you’re less productive—like a baseball player trying to catch sans a glove. 

“Collaborative intelligence” refers to this mutually beneficial relationship between people and AI. In the workplace, this synergy allows both parties to play to their strengths. People bring qualities such as leadership, creativity, common sense, and intuition to the table, while AI supports them its processing power and data insights.

In other words, AI and people work together to compensate for each other’s blind spots. This teamwork is incredibly beneficial for productivity. Researchers who conducted a study involving 1,500 companies found that “firms achieve the most significant performance improvements when humans and machines work together.”

About Synaptiq

Synaptiq is an AI and data science consultancy based in Portland, Oregon. We collaborate with our clients to develop human-centered products and solutions. We uphold a strong commitment to ethics and innovation. 

Contact us if you have a problem to solve, a process to refine, or a question to ask.

You can learn more about our story through our past projects, blog, or podcast.