While we often imagine an either-or choice between labour and technology, for most tasks, much evidence suggests humans and machines work better together. Collaborative intelligence (or CINTEL) combines human intelligence, adaptability, creativity, and values with narrower but powerful machine intelligence.  It is about leveraging the intelligence of humans and machines to achieve a task – it is about humans working with machines in the best possible way. It is also about improving productivity and create sustainable and rewarding jobs for Australian workers. 

With the growing acknowledgement that the best results ensue when humans work collaboratively with machines, in both physical and virtual/digital worlds, the Collaborative Intelligence Future Science Platform (FSP) will develop the science and novel technology systems to enable humans and technology to work harmoniously together, across multiple domains, exceeding the performance of either alone.  

The science of harnessing complementary human and machine intelligence currently represents a significant knowledge and capability gap. This is an inherently interdisciplinary endeavour, as it must involve social scientists, human factors researchers as well as technology and domain experts.  

Collaborative intelligence can change the narrative from one of technology threatening human jobs and livelihoods, or making jobs boring, to one where workers across all skill brackets can be safer, more productive, and have interesting jobs, through targeted use of technologies – https://theconversation.com/whats-the-secret-to-making-sure-ai-doesnt-steal-your-job-work-with-it-not-against-it-172691 . Effective human-machine harmonisation can both enhance, and more equitably distribute, the societal benefits of technology. 

CSIRO’s Collaborative Intelligence Future Science Platform (FSP) collaborates with a large number of different science domains/business units across our organisation including Data61, National Collections & Marine Infrastructure (NMCI), Oceans and Atmosphere (O&A), Agriculture and Food (A&F), Space and Astronomy (S&A), Land and Water (L&W), Manufacturing, Health and Biosecurity (H&B), and Education and Outreach. 

The CINTEL FSP currently has 7 projects in progress.