UCF IST’s Steve Fiore explores human-AI collaboration at HFES International Annual Meeting

By Cassidy Mills, Staff Writer

November 10, 2025

 

The 69th Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) International Annual Meeting, ASPIRE (Advancing Systems and Practice through Innovation, Research and Education for Human Factors and Ergonomics), took place Oct. 13-17 in Chicago, Illinois.

 

The meeting brought together more than 1,400 attendees from academia, government and industry for about 600 technical presentations and curated sessions, providing opportunities to share research, discuss emerging challenges and advance the application of human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) knowledge.

 

Stephen Fiore, Ph.D., director of the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory at the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) and a Pegasus professor, participated in the conference as both a panelist and moderator.

 

Fiore joined the panel “AI in Agile, Resilient, Coordinated Large-Scale Operations” alongside David Woods, professor of cognitive systems engineering and human systems integration at The Ohio State University, and Neelam Naikar, lead scientist at Defence Science and Technology Group. The panel was moderated by Bill Elm, president and founder of Resilient Cognitive Solutions.

 

“The panel discussed the need to help AI developers and implementers understand the risks associated with systems that possess significant autonomy and authority in critical areas of responsibility,” Fiore said.

 

Fiore said important research in supervisory management and joint cognitive systems aims to address the challenges of human-AI collaboration. Even at smaller scales, the HF/E community explores how to design integrated systems that remain resilient to failures, such as when an AI depends on faulty sensor data.

 

Beyond serving as a panelist, Fiore also moderated the panel “AI Collaboration With Humans,” which featured Nancy Cooke, professor of human systems engineering at Arizona State University; Phil Smith, professor of integrated systems engineering at The Ohio State University; and Michael Miller, professor of systems engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology.

 

As session moderator, Fiore said he found the discussion around the true meaning of human-AI collaboration and whether AI can genuinely function as a team member most compelling.

 

“For the session I moderated, there was much discussion around terminology,” Fiore said. “The panelists noted that most people have different conceptions of what AI actually is or can do.”

 

He explained that this lack of a shared understanding makes it difficult to have productive conversations about the safe development or implementation of AI.

 

Even with a concept like “human-AI collaboration,” Fiore said the panel debated what it really means to collaborate and whether this differs from “human-AI teaming.” The discussion ultimately questioned whether current AI is capable of being a team member like a human or should still be viewed as a very smart tool.

 

Fiore said this research aligns closely with the mission of UCF IST, which takes an interdisciplinary approach to human-technology research by bridging psychology, computer science and engineering to advance human-AI teaming and human-centered computing.

 

“At IST, we have been conducting research in human-centered computing for decades, much of it related to human-AI teaming,” Fiore said. “More than 20 years ago, I presented one of my first talks on human-AI teaming and the challenges associated with that.”

 

He explained that this evolving area of research requires close collaboration among psychologists, computer scientists and engineers. Recognizing and bridging the language gaps between these disciplines, he said, is essential to advancing effective human-AI teaming.

 

“Whether developing simulations for training, technologies to augment cognition or human-AI teaming, IST has been at the forefront of this work,” Fiore said. “We have much to contribute to this increasingly important area of research and development.”

 

Fiore said the HF/E community contributes to shaping the future of AI and human-systems integration by fostering critical discussions on concepts like human-AI collaboration and ensuring a shared understanding of AI’s capabilities and limitations.

 

“The human factors community is working with industry and government agencies to ensure they are aware of research that can inform the design and implementation of new AI technologies,” Fiore said. “They are also helping to create standards for AI use and participating in discussions about AI guardrails to ensure safe and effective development and deployment.”

 

ASPIRE 2025 offered a platform for exploring opportunities and challenges in integrating AI into human systems, with Fiore’s panels providing detailed insights into collaboration, trust and system resilience in human-AI interactions.