New Professor Tuomo Kujala: The need for cognitive science is growing as thinking is outsourced to artificial intelligence

Tuomo Kujala started as Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of Jyväskylä at the beginning of August. His research focuses on the interaction between humans and machines.

“I have long been fascinated by human attention and inattention. I am particularly interested in how attention is dynamically directed in various everyday situations, for example when driving a car,” Kujala says.

Kujala is currently leading a research project analyzing drivers’ attention allocation while driving and performing secondary tasks. The project aims to identify which tasks performed on a car’s infotainment system whilst driving distract the driver the most, and how these tasks affect the risk of road accidents.

The aim is to identify user interface design features that distract drivers whilst driving and to contribute to the improvement of road safety.

A long career in cognitive science and road safety

Before his professorship, Kujala had already spent 21 years working in the field of cognitive science at the University of Jyväskylä. This period also included numerous visits abroad and a postdoctoral fellowship at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Kujala's career began as a PhD student at the Agora Centre in the University of Jyväskylä in 2005. After his dissertation, Kujala was given responsibility for developing the master’s programme in cognitive science at the Faculty of Information Technology, alongside his research duties.

When asked to name one of the most interesting moments in his research career, Kujala highlights the establishment of the Drive-In research laboratory in 2024. Built specifically to study inattention whilst driving, the laboratory is unique even by international standards.

Professor Tuomo Kujala behind the wheel in the Drive-In laboratory. Photo: Petteri Kivimäki

“Any passenger car can be driven into the laboratory, where it can be connected to a virtual driving simulator. Laboratory conditions ensure that the effects of using in-car infotainment systems whilst driving can be studied safely in well-controlled conditions,” Kujala explains.

The laboratory has become familiar to many locals, as it has been visited by more than 400 volunteer drivers so far. Kujala is grateful to all participants and emphasises how important it is to the outcome of the research that volunteers actively participate in the university’s studies.

The need for cognitive science grows as thinking is outsourced to AI

Kujala says we are currently living interesting times from a cognitive science perspective, as various AI tools are radically changing the way we do things.

“As our thinking is outsourced to machines, inattention is becoming an ever-greater challenge. Whether it’s automated driving, information search or programming, we’re going to need more research to help assess what level of attention is appropriate for each user in different tasks,” explains Kujala.

Nevertheless, Kujala emphasises that excessive mistrust of AI solutions could undermine the progress they enable.
“We should approach AI with both an open mind and a critical eye. We should strive for an appropriate level of uncertainty in everything we do,” Kujala concludes.