The broader impact and commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of teams of the future using computer science and artificial intelligence. As various work environments within society shift away from the paradigm of individuals working independently and towards a team based model, it is essential to understand how algorithms can be developed to support such teams. As these algorithms increasingly begin take on more roles—such as decision maker or resource allocator—within human teams, many face a common problem of adoptability by team. The difficulty in integrating various forms of algorithms into teams stems from the lack of understanding of the impact that they have on the complex interpersonal dynamics between team members. As such, it is vital to develop algorithmic solutions that include social rules (e.g. fairness) within their optimization criteria. The proposed Vida algorithm may be among the first set of AI solutions aimed at real time support of teams and teamwork through the inclusion of fair resource allocation. Such an algorithm has a broad range of applications including sports teams, teaching, and software teams where team leaders need to make decisions about how to allocate their attention or resources.
This I-Corps project's intellectual merit lies in its ability to support various forms of teams throughout a given task. A large body of research highlights the influence that the allocation of resources has on individuals. Yet, there is still a dearth of algorithms that implement notions of fairness into its allocation decisions. Research has shown that people have the tendency to alter their motivations when unfairness is perceived. The proposed AI-driven Vida algorithm would reinforce research on fairness allocations within human teams.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
