
Ross Dawson on cognitive friction, beyond Human-in-the-loop, and AI-augmented strategy (AC Ep44)
From Humans + AI by Ross Dawson
May 27, 2026 · 18 min · Season 3 · Episode 44
About this episode
Ross Dawson discusses the importance of cognitive friction in human-AI collaboration and the implications for decision-making and strategy.
“The value is created in the friction, in the engagement between humans and AI—the pushing back by the humans, the pushing back by the machines.” –Ross Dawson About Ross Dawson Ross Dawson is a futurist, keynote speaker, strategy advisor, author, and host of Amplifying Cognition podcast. He is Chairman of the Advanced Human Technologies group of companies and Founder of Humans + AI startup Informivity. He has delivered keynote speeches and strategy workshops in 33 countries and is the bestselling author of 5 books, most recently Thriving on Overload. Website: rossdawson.com LinkedIn Profile: Ross Dawson What you will learn The dangers of aiming for a frictionless experience between humans and AI Why meaningful engagement—rather than passive approval—between humans and AI is crucial for cognitive augmentation How human judgment and reasoning differ, and where AI excels versus where humans add irreplaceable value The four key pitfalls of the traditional ‘human in the loop’ approach to decision-making with AI Why too much delegation to AI can erode human vigilance, judgment, and accountability The importance of adversarial, not just assistive, collaboration…
People in this episode
Host: Ross Dawson
Topics covered
- cognitive friction
- human-AI collaboration
- decision-making
- AI-augmented strategy
- human judgment
- organizational strategy
Keywords
- cognitive friction
- human-in-the-loop
- AI strategy
- decision-making
- human judgment
- collaboration
- AI augmentation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Humans + AI, Advanced Human Technologies, Informivity
Books & works: Thriving on Overload
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