Definition
Plain language
The field that studies how people actually use computers and interfaces, and how to design them better.
As stated in the literature
Human-Computer Interaction — the research discipline on the design and use of interactive systems; cited for results on interruption timing and audience effects relevant to agent clarification timing and bias auditing.
Also called: human-computer interaction
Why it matters: It grounds AI interface choices in evidence about how real people behave, so systems interrupt, ask, and present results in ways users can actually tolerate.
For example, HCI research on when interruptions are least annoying can guide when an AI assistant should pause to ask a clarifying question.
Heard on the show
“But anyone who's worked in decision theory or human-computer interaction for the last fifty years would tell you: the *timing* of when you ask has to matter at least as much as whether you ask.”Episode 035 — Why Frontier Agents Ask for Clarification at Exactly the Wrong Moment