SAB member professor Kaisa Väänänen: “How human agency changes in the close collaboration between humans and machines is one of the most interesting questions”

Kaisa Väänänen is a professor of Human-Technology Interaction at Tampere University. She leads the research group of Human-Centered Technology, an interdisciplinary group working on user experience and interaction design research. Väänänen is a member of international Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of Hybrid Intelligence programme. When she visited the University of Oulu, we interviewed her about her views on hybrid intelligence.
Portrait of Professor Kaisa Väänänen taken outside in spring time

Our SAB member professor Kaisa Väänänen shared her insights on the evolving field of hybrid intelligence.

To start with the first big question, Väänänen defines hybrid intelligence as something that achieves goals that humans and machines can only reach together.

"Hybrid intelligence is the integration of human and machine capabilities, with the aim of enhancing human abilities and achieving collaborative goals that are not reachable by either of them alone".

The change of human agency and development of ethically sound HI solutions are key areas of inquiry

When asked about the most interesting questions in the field, Väänänen highlights several key areas of inquiry. These include understanding how human agency changes as a result of close collaboration between humans and machines, identifying productive and emotionally supportive interactions between humans and machines in various application domains, and exploring how human-human communications and collaborations evolve when machines and augmentations act as mediators.

Additionally, she emphasized the importance of developing design knowledge to advance human-centered and ethically sound HI solutions.

Väänänen sees great possibilities for HI programme to develop and trial Hybrid Intelligence concepts and techniques in real life contexts

Looking ahead, Väänänen has high expectations for the Hybrid Intelligence research programme over the next five years. She anticipates significant advancements in technologies and applications within the chosen domains of education and healthcare.
"The programme has an extraordinary opportunity to develop and trial hybrid intelligence concepts and techniques in real life contexts. I also expect the programme to critically observe the possible negative effects of the utilization of HI in people’s lives," she concludes.

Last updated: 10.1.2025