Rethinking Human-AI interactions through the maintainability: a new criterion for Trust and Glue in the Extended Mind Thesis
Trans/Form/Ação April 3, 2025 Deivide Garcia da Silva Oliveira
The paper explores the Extended Mind Hypothesis (ExM), which suggests that cognitive processes extend beyond the brain to include external tools and technologies. It examines how ExM changes the understanding of human-AI interaction, challenging the Standard model of AI by arguing that AI, as an active non-organic agent, influences cognition more profoundly than expected. The authors propose adding 'maintainability' as a fourth criterion to ExM's Trust and Glue criteria—alongside trustworthiness, reliability, and accessibility—to better evaluate parity in coupled systems and address concerns about control. They highlight risks from AI's understanding of human psychology, which may cause unintended shifts in objectives and choices, concluding that maintainability is a critical safeguard against evolving challenges in human-AI integration.