Human Empowerṇṇment as a Key Component of Human-AI Robot Teaming

The present paper is based on a case study that aimed to provide evaluation tools for supporting human-centered design assessment of human-AI teaming in a virtual testbed environment. The authors worked from the lens of industrial/organizational psychology and human factors to identify a set of easily measurable constructs linked to relevant behaviors, subjective experiences, and worker well-being outcomes. The first of two major contributions is a description of the holistic approach employed that pointed to the importance of valuing user empowerment within a virtual testbed environment, with a review of empirical evidence that suggests worker empowerment is critical for both ensuring worker well-being and efficient and productive outcomes. Second, a set of theoretical propositions are developed highlighting the potential key role of empowerment in facilitating performance in human-AI teaming systems, thereby laying the foundation for future HF/E research in this area.