Marshall Kirkpatrick on cognitive levers, combinatorial possibilities, symphonic thinking, and compound learning (AC Ep39)

Marshall Kirkpatrick on cognitive levers, combinatorial possibilities, symphonic thinking, and compound learning (AC Ep39)

From Humans + AI by Ross Dawson

April 8, 2026 · 40 min · Season 3 · Episode 39

About this episode

Marshall Kirkpatrick discusses the impact of generative AI on cognitive tools and decision-making.

“The technology we’re working with today really makes a lot of those best practices and mental models and the whole toolkit more accessible than ever to more people.” –Marshall Kirkpatrick About Marshall Kirkpatrick Marshall Kirkpatrick is founder of sustainabilty consultancy Earth Catalyst and AI thinking tool What’s Up With That. His many previous roles include founder of influence network analysis tool Little Bird, which was acquired by Sprinklr, where he was last Vice President Market Research. Website: whatsupwiththat.app LinkedIn Profile: Marshall Kirkpatrick What you will learn How generative AI transforms cognitive tools and lowers barriers to advanced thinking Techniques to combine human and AI-powered sensemaking for richer insights Practical strategies for filtering and extracting value from infinite information The importance and application of diverse mental models in modern decision-making Methods to balance manual cognitive work with AI assistance for optimal outcomes The role of adaptive interfaces in enhancing individual cognitive capacity Metacognitive approaches to networks and how AI can foster organizational awareness Ethical and societal…

People in this episode

Host: Ross Dawson

Guest: Marshall Kirkpatrick

Topics covered

  • cognitive tools
  • generative AI
  • decision-making
  • information filtering
  • mental models
  • AI assistance

Keywords

  • cognitive levers
  • combinatorial possibilities
  • symphonic thinking
  • compound learning
  • AI-powered insights
  • adaptive interfaces
  • organizational awareness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Earth Catalyst, What’s Up With That, Little Bird, Sprinklr

More episodes of Humans + AI

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Humans + AI podcast page.