Offloading under cognitive load: Humans are willing to offload parts of an attentionally demanding task to an algorithm

Abstract

In the near future, humans will increasingly be required to offload tasks to artificial systems to facilitate daily as well as professional activities. Yet, research has shown that humans are often averse to offloading tasks to algorithms (so-called “algorithmic aversion”). In the present study, we asked whether this aversion is also present when humans act under high cognitive load. Participants performed an attentionally demanding task (a multiple object tracking (MOT) task), which required them to track a subset of moving targets among distractors on a computer screen. Participants first performed the MOT task alone (Solo condition) and were then given the option to offload an unlimited number of targets to a computer partner (Joint condition). We found that participants significantly offloaded some (but not all) targets to the computer partner, thereby improving their individual tracking accuracy (Experiment 1). A similar tendency for offloading was observed when participants were informed beforehand that the computer partner’s tracking accuracy was flawless (Experiment 2). The present findings show that humans are willing to (partially) offload task demands to an algorithm to reduce their own cognitive load. We suggest that the cognitive load of a task is an important factor to consider when evaluating human tendencies for offloading cognition onto artificial systems.

A bonus task boosts people's willingness to offload cognition to an algorithm

“…In sum, our previous study (Wahn et al, 2023 ) indicates that humans are willing to offload parts of an attentionally demanding task to an algorithm. An open question that remained was the following: Why did participants not offload the complete task to the computer partner—especially in the second experiment when they knew that the computer would perform the task flawlessly?…”

“…Whereas the above-mentioned studies on algorithmic aversion/appreciation directly compared the human willingness to offload tasks to another human vs. an artificial system, other studies have focused on the conditions under which humans are generally willing to offload cognition to artificial systems (Wahn et al, 2023 ; Weis & Wiese, 2019a , 2019b , 2022 ; Wiese et al, 2022 ). Such cognitive offloading, broadly defined as “the use of physical action to alter the information processing requirements of a task so as to reduce cognitive demand” (Risko & Gilbert, 2016 , p. 676), can help humans to overcome cognitive capacity limitations (Marois & Ivanoff, 2005 ; Wahn & König, 2017 ) and thereby enable them to attain goals they could not have attained (as quickly, easily, or efficiently) otherwise.…”

“…In our own recent study (Wahn et al, 2023 ), we extended the line of research on cognitive offloading by investigating offloading in a context with high attentional demands. Specifically, we asked whether and to what extent humans offload parts of a spatial attention task to an algorithm—and whether prior information about the capability of this algorithm affects the human tendency for offloading.…”

“…It has also been shown that tracking is effortful and requires sustained attention over prolonged periods of time (e.g., Alnæs et al, 2014 ; Wahn et al, 2016 ). In our previous study (Wahn et al, 2023 ), participants first performed the MOT task alone (Solo condition) and then had the opportunity to offload an unlimited number of targets to a computer partner (Joint condition). Based on earlier research, we had two opposing hypotheses: On the one hand, we predicted that participants might not offload the MOT task to an autonomous algorithm because humans generally seem to prefer algorithms that have an advisory function only (Dietvorst et al, 2015 ; see above).…”

“…On the other hand, given that the MOT task is attentionally demanding, we predicted that participants might (partially) offload the task to an algorithm to reduce their own cognitive effort (Risko & Gilbert, 2016 )—in line with the offloading tendencies humans show in daily activities. Furthermore, we reasoned that the second hypothesis seemed more likely because we used an experimental scenario with rather low stakes and human offloading tendencies may arguably be stronger when no high stakes are involved (see Wahn et al, 2023 ).…”