Augmented Intelligence: How to Combine Human and Artificial Intelligence to Change Behavior

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is the most promising and overhyped technology of our times. AI techniques such as deep learning have allowed computers to match or even beat world experts at games like chess and Go, and even board-certified doctors at diagnosing diabetic retinopathy and skin cancer. While AI is great for recognizing patterns in puzzles and pictures, it is much harder for AI to change the behavior of people, in all their fascinating and frustrating complexity. In an earlier post on the Keystone Habit, I introduced the concept of using goals and habit change loops for personal development. Now let's explore how to combine these loops for product development, in order to design a system to help someone change. Here, I argue that human intelligence is better applied to helping people form goals, while AI is better applied to helping people form habits.