Historically, the development of natural language generation (NLG) and natural language understanding (NLU) systems, on the one hand, and the research into cognitive processes that underlie written text composition and comprehension in humans, on the other, have followed independent but complementary trajectories. We contend that there is a need for an in-depth exploration of the relationship between AI language models and cognitive psychology, specifically focusing on the processes of text comprehension and composition.
By bringing together experts in cognitive sciences, linguistics, and AI-based NLP, this 2-day, online workshop aims to address fundamental questions regarding the representation of written language knowledge in humans, the cognitive processes involved in human-AI collaboration during text comprehension and composition, and the potential of large language models for enhancing reading and writing skills. This interdisciplinary dialogue is crucial for unlocking new insights, fostering innovative learning experiences, and optimizing the interaction between AI and human cognition in the context of written text processing.
During the workshop, researchers in cognitive psychology of reading and writing, linguistics and applied linguistics, and AI-based natural language processing will be invited to discuss their research in light of the following research questions:
- To what extent do large language models offer hypotheses about how human minds produce natural-language texts?
- What might happen in human writers' minds as they collaborate with AI (for example, ChatGPT) when producing texts?
Possible subquestions to be addressed may include:
- In what ways do large language models inform our understanding of human text production?
- How do individual differences in cognitive abilities, such as working memory capacity, influence the extent to which large language models mirror human language production?
- How does interacting with AI language models influence the creative processes and decision-making of human writers?
- To what extent does collaboration with LLMs influence the writing strategies and cognitive load of human writers?
- How do human writers integrate AI-generated content into their own cognitive processes during writing tasks in which they collaborate with LLMs?
Research topics from the cognitive sciences and linguistics may include statistical learning of language, computational modeling of language acquisition, language production and comprehension, and collaborative learning.
Research topics from artificial intelligence may include large language models (LLMs), human-and-computer-in-the-loop learning, text mining, machine learning, explainable AI in education, and human-computer interaction (HCI).
The workshop will also include a session on "Practical Applications of AI for Learning," which will include applications of generative AI for K–12 and higher education.