Society for Mathematical Psychology

Cleotilde (Coty) Gonzalez is a Professor in the Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, where she directs the Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory and co-directs the NSF National AI Institute for Societal Decision Making (AI-SDM). Her research focuses on human decision making in dynamic and complex environments, integrating behavioral experiments, cognitive modeling, and artificial intelligence. She co-developed Instance-Based Learning Theory (IBLT), a leading cognitive theory of decisions from experience that has been applied to domains including cybersecurity, human-AI teaming, public health, and disaster management. Gonzalez is a 2024 AAAS Fellow and a Fellow of the Cognitive Science Society and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Prof. Cleotilde (Coty) Gonzalez

The next frontier in AI is not building ever more powerful models, but creating complementary intelligence between humans and machines. This talk explores how computational cognitive models can guide the design of AI systems that enhance rather than replace human decision-making. I introduce the concept of Cognitive AI—AI grounded in models of human cognitive processes such as learning, memory, and decision making—and contrast it with the large-scale optimization focus of Machine AI. I argue that integrating these complementary paradigms provides a foundation for effective human–AI teaming. Through shared representations, human-guided learning, and coevolution, Cognitive AI can align with human preferences, support judgment under uncertainty, and enable adaptive collaboration in dynamic environments. I will present examples from decision-making, human–AI teaming, and applications that illustrate how cognitive models can move beyond explaining human behavior to designing AI systems that collaborate effectively with people.

This is an in-person presentation on July 18, 2026 (13:40 ~ 14:40 EDT).

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ICCM Keynote Speaker - Dr. Coty Gonzalez