Modeling perceived information needs in human-AI teams: improving AI teammate utility and driving team cognition

As AI technologies advance, teams are beginning to see AI transition from a tool to a full-fledged teammate. Introducing an AI teammate brings several challenges, ranging from how human teammates perceive their new AI teammates from an affective standpoint to how AI should engage in the various teaming behaviors that make up effective teamwork. The current study used a mixed factorial survey and structural equation modeling to assess how participants in hypothetical human-AI teams respond to various forms of AI information-sharing, including information related to explainability, back-up behavior, situational awareness, and augmenting team memory. The study's results found that AI design features related to situational awareness and augmenting the teams' memory had the strongest effect on participants' attitudes and perceived team cognition with their teammates. However, much of this effect was mediated by participants' affective attitudes towards the AI as a teammate, with higher ratings leading directly to higher levels of perceived team cognition constructs. These results highlight the importance of fostering positive attitudes towards AI teammates, such as trust and cohesion in human-AI teams, to support the development of effective team cognition and the ability of AI information-sharing to bring about such positive impacts.