ArgLab • International Conference

Cognitive Ecologies, Values, and Disruptive Technologies

The concept of cognitive ecology has found diverse applications, offering valuable insights into the interplay between human cognition, affect and agency and its relationship and dependence on technology, and the environment (Tribble and Sutton 2011, Hutchins 2010). In the last thirty years, we have lived through a period of accumulation of rapid technologies such as the mobile internet, GPS, smart phones, social networks and now Generative AI. Such technologies have already reshaped human cognition as we have come to rely on them in a variety of ways (Smart, Heersmink, and Clowes 2017, Smart, Clowes, and Heersmink 2017, Clowes 2019, Krueger and Osler 2019). Many can be classed as disruptive technologies, not just because they change the way we do things, but, from a 4E cognition perspective, they can also change the way we think, remember, act and feel. Especially in the context of recent discussion of ‘hostile scaffolding’ (Timms and Spurrett 2023), how should we think of the qualitative and ethical implications of our cognitive dependence and a new order of ‘smart’ technologies?


The rapidly adoption of a new kind of cognitive technology, namely Generative AI, makes the understanding of the cognitive implications of (disruptive) technological change more essential than ever. This workshop brings together a brilliant group of international scholars and provides a platform for multidisciplinary discussions bridging technology, cognition, and values within various ecological contexts.


Please join us to discuss Cognitive Ecologies, Values, and Disruptive Technologies.


To join the sessions via Zoom, use this link.


This event is organised by Robert Clowes, Gloria Andrada & David Spurrett and will take place in the scope of the activities of the Lisbon Mind, Cognition and Knowledge Group and the “GENAI — Exploring Human Cognitive Flourishing against the background of GENerative AI: Sustaining Deep Minds in Our New Cognitive Ecology” exploratory project.

Programme

DAY 1: November 8th
LOCATION: Room C115 (Building C)


9:00–9:30 Introduction to the conference on Cognitive Ecologies, Values and Disruptive Technologies


9:30–10:30 Keynote Talk 1 | John Sutton, Varieties of disruption in cognitive technologies of memory and navigation


10:30–10:50 Coffee Break


10:50–11:40 Lucy Osler, The politics of nudges and niches


11:40–12:30 Ryan Timms, Scaffolded Dark Patterns: Scaffolding, User Interface Design & Manipulation


12:30–14:00 Lunch Break


14:00–14:50 Mateusz Hohol (w/ J. P. Grodniewicz), Therapeutic chatbots as cognitive-affective artifacts


14:50–15:40 Robert Clowes, Incorporating Generative AI in our Cognitive and Affective Lives as Extended Minds and Virtual Personalities


15:40–16:00 Coffee Break


16:00–16:50 Janna van Grunsven & Lavinia Marin, Teenage Cancel Culture and the Importance of Interpersonal Identity Exploration — An Enactive-Ecological take on How Teenagers are Wronged by Social Media Platforms


16:50–17:10 Break


17:10–18:10 David Spurrett, Nasty Niches


18:10–18:30 Possibly summative discussion of the first day


19:00 Dinner


DAY 2: November 9th
LOCATION: Room A210 (Tower A)


9:20–10:20 Keynote Talk 2 | Evelyn Tribble, To the Tune of: Ballads and Disruptive Technology


10:20–10:40 Coffee Break


10:40–11:30 Konrad Werner, Cognitive confinement in the suburbs: niche construction, (not much) distributed cognition, and collective problem solving


11:30–12:20 Jesus Vega, Cognition in taskscapes


12:20–14:00 Lunch Break


14:00–14:50 Guido Cassinadri, ChatGPT in education: Mind Extender or Supercognitive Artifact?


14:50–15:40 Paul Smart, Mindcraft: Cognitive Ecologies from an Engineering Standpoint


15:40–16:00 Coffee Break


16:00–16:50 Gloria Andrada (w/ J. Adam Carter), Know-how and the Mind-Technology Problem


16:50–17:00 Break


17:00–17:30 Cognitive Ecologies, Values and Disruptive Technologies (Drawing the threads together and future perspectives)


17:30 Formal End


17:30–18:30 Visit to Local Bar for “round table” discussion towards future collaboration


20:00 Informal dinner in city center

Funding
Event supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e para a Tecnologia) of the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science under the project UIDB/00183/2020 and by NOVA FCSH within the scope of the ArgLab exploratory research project “(GENAI) Ensuring Human Cognitive Flourishing against the background of GENerative AI: sustaining deep minds within our new cognitive ecology”.