- Who are the key stakeholders and what do they want from the new system?
Identify end-users and stakeholders
In this phase, we establish the initial context by identifying all relevant stakeholders and end users. This includes those who will interact directly with the AI assistant, as well as those affected by its outputs or dependent on its performance.
Documentation review
Review existing research, documentation, and reports to identify stakeholders, users, and operational needs relevant to the AI system.
Stakeholder mapping
Identify and categorise individuals or groups who affect or are affected by the AI system.
Understand context and identify requirements (Human, AI)
This phase establishes a foundational understanding of the work environment, human roles, and key challenges the AI assistant must support. Techniques such as Observation & Walk-throughs, Semi-Structured Interviews, and Focus Groups help ensure that the work as currently done is thoroughly understood, including all the factors, uncertainties, trade-offs and constraints that human end users habitually manage on a day-to-day basis. This in-depth understanding helps to ensure the AI assistant will be able to meet the challenge of assisting the human end user in realistic working conditions. Hierarchical Task Analysis enables a first structured allocation of the split of roles and tasks between human and AI assistant, showing how the future human-AI teaming concept could work in an integrated fashion. The additional consideration of Legal (e.g. EU Act on AI) and Regulatory Requirements (e.g. EASA) can further ensure a good allocation of function between human and AI system elements.
Observation; Walk/Talk-through; Verbal Protocol
Techniques to elicit expertise to understand what, how and why operators do.
Semi-structured Interviews
Use guided conversations to explore user experiences while allowing flexibility and depth.
Hierarchical Task Analysis
Using a diagram to visualise how different tasks interlink to achieve a system goal.
Focus Groups
Gather collective insights through structured group discussion.
Legal documents
Useful external links to regulations, standards, and other background documents to guide your work.
EASA Guidance
Read about the concept of Human-AI Teaming (HAT) and the main design principles to ensure safe “Human-AI Interaction”
Human–AI teaming CONOPS definition
In this phase it is important to understand how the human and AI will work together on specific tasks in a set of representative scenarios, whether routine, maintenance, emergency or a combination of the three. Scenario-Based Design can identify and explore different scenarios, and Ideation Sessions can then consider how human and AI would respond and interact. This can then be made explicit by mapping the different actors, events and actions in time-based Operations Sequence Diagram. Early application of the HAIQU tool in this Phase. HAIQU (Human-AI QUestionnaire) is a tool designed within the context of HAIKU to be used in a collaborative session to elicit and document teaming-specific requirements. It is envisaged to use HAIQU in multiple phases. In this phase, it is particularly useful to explore the areas of Human Centred Design, Roles and Responsibilities and Teamworking, which will help verify the Conops from a Human Factors Requirements perspective, and avoid problems costly changes in these areas in later Phases.
Scenario-Based Design
To describe existing or imagine new activities produced by interacting with a new tool.
Operation Sequence Diagram (OSD)
Used for multi-person tasks and maps who does what/when/with which information.
Co-design session(s)
Collaboratively shape initial Human-AI teaming concepts with users and stakeholders.
Human-AI Teaming Questionnaire (HAIQU)
A web app for collaborative expert analysis of AI systems against Human Factors requirements.
Initial design Activity
In this phase a prototype, whether static (e.g. successive screenshots) or dynamic (an interactive interface) is developed and tested with end users using Low Fidelity Prototyping. To represent the AI part of the interaction, either a ‘Wizard of Oz’ approach is used in which a human pretends to be the AI (e.g. responding using text messages), or else a programme gives scripted answers that the ‘real’ AI would generate in the real situation. In some cases, an early prototype of the AI assistant itself may be ready, in which case it can be used (this can also help the ‘training’ of the AI). A key ingredient in human-AI teaming is sense-making, ensuring that the human and AI are ‘on the same page’. If prototyping suggests that the human may need to better understand what the AI is doing and why, this is where Explainability Generation should be applied. The HAIQU tool should be reapplied in this phase, focusing on Sense-Making (which includes displays, interactions and explainability) and Communications (particularly if speech interfaces are to be used). This phase is likely to go through several iterations and should enlist end-user feedback at each iteration.
Low-Fidelity Prototyping
A cost-effective and efficient approach for assessing different design solutions and making informed decisions, at multiple levels of fidelity.
Construal Level Theory (CLT) for XAI Generation
A psychological framework applied to design layered, context-specific explanations for AI systems.
Wizard of OZ
A method for testing complex systems by simulating functionality with a human behind the scenes, avoiding costly development while gathering realistic feedback.
Human-AI Teaming Questionnaire (HAIQU)
2nd applicationA web app for collaborative expert analysis of AI systems against Human Factors requirements.
Identify Risks and System-Level Issues
In this phase risks are identified related to the use of the AI-based assistant. Techniques such as Human HAZOP, SHELL and Expert Walk-through can be applied to low and higher-TRL projects, whereas techniques such as STPA are for later TRL projects (TRL 6+). These techniques all aim to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in the human-AI teaming operation, and as such, normally only one technique needs to be applied, though the application of more than one may flag differently nuanced risks. Legal Case Methodology, usually applied to later TRL projects, considers legal aspects. The HAIQU tool can be applied again with a focus on Errors and Resilience, and the project progressing towards TRLs 5 and beyond may wish to revisit the EASA Regulations, specifically those relating to human-AI teaming, explainability and ethics.
Human Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP)
Structured workshop-based technique to anticipate deviations in human-AI interaction through systematic application of guidewords across operational sequences.
SHELL Model
Shows key human factors components of sociol-technical systems. Allows problem analysis.
Expert Walkthroughs
Assess concept robustness by gathering expert feedback on systemlevel functionality
System-Theoretic Accident Model & Processes (STAMP)
A systemic accident analysis method focusing on control processes and dysfunctional interactions within socio-technical systems.
Legal Case Methodology
Identifying, analysing, and mitigating legal risks, particularly liability issues, arising from AI and advanced automation in safety-critical domains.
Human-AI Teaming Questionnaire (HAIQU)
3rd applicationA web app for collaborative expert analysis of AI systems against Human Factors requirements.
EASA Guidance
2nd applicationRead about the concept of Human-AI Teaming (HAT) and the main design principles to ensure safe “Human-AI Interaction”
Validate and iterate higher fidelity designs
In this phase a dynamically interactive system is available and tested with licensed end users in a high-fidelity simulation across one or more scenarios. Performance is measured, including overall system performance as well as the performance of the constituent components (human and AI). Since the AI assistant is there to support the human end user, measures such as workload and situation awareness may be measured, as well as canvassing simulation participants’ views on the degree of support afforded by the AI assistant, via Qualitative Debriefings and post-simulation questionnaires such as the System Usability Scale. In some cases, more advanced ‘Neuro-ID’ psycho-physiological measures (e.g. heart rate, galvanic skin response, EEG, etc.) may be used to infer impacts on the human user. Eye Tracking may also be used to determine effects on pilot or air traffic controller visual patterns and sense-making of the scenario, or to better track the dynamic interaction between human and AI. System Logs can often help understand the detail of such interactions. Following such simulations (often there are more than one, to allow at least one design iteration), the HAIQU tool can be run again for the previous six areas, updating earlier responses where new insights or information have arisen. As mentioned under Phase 4, towards the end of Phase 5 hazard analyses should be repeated to see if mitigations identified in Phase 4 worked, and if any new hazards have been discovered.
Build robust prototype
Translate your validated design concepts into working code to create a functional and testable prototype.
Real-time simulations
To test the future product and simulate the environment under assessment in real time.
Eye tracking analysis technique
To test the future product and simulate the environment under assessment in real time.
Neuro-ID
To test the future product and simulate the environment under assessment in real time.
Observation; Walk/Talk-through; Verbal Protocol
2nd applicationTechniques to elicit expertise to understand what, how and why operators do.
System Log Analysis
Analyse recorded system data to understand user actions, AI responses, and interaction patterns over time.
Qualitative Debriefings
Gather in-depth feedback after users interact with a prototype or system.
Post-exercise questionnaire
Gather structured user feedback after system use to assess usability, workload, trust, and more.
Human-AI Teaming Questionnaire (HAIQU)
4th applicationA web app for collaborative expert analysis of AI systems against Human Factors requirements.
HAZARD Analysis
Repeat steps from previous phases to see if the potential hazards persists
Deployment and Continuous Improvement
This phase consists of preparation for transition to deployment into the intended operational, organisational and social environment for which the AI-based assistant will be used. The HAIQU tool contains two areas relevant to Phase 7, namely Competencies and Training, and Organisational Readiness. Additionally, two questionnaires on Societal Acceptance and Safety Culture help determine the readiness of the user population to accept the new technology, and any concerns over impacts on individual or organisational safety culture. When the tool is first being deployed and people are being trained to use it and working with the tool, it can be useful to apply the User Journey Map technique on a representative sample of end users. This tool picks up annoyances (called ‘pain points’), whether related to the tool itself, the way it is being released and deployed into the system, or lack of smooth integration into legacy systems. Such problems can detract from the tool’s effective usage, such that its full benefits are never realised, no matter how well it was designed. Lastly, Error Reporting on the use of the tool is critical in the early deployment phase in case of errors (human or AI) or misunderstandings or other problems. If such problems are not detected quickly and corrected, the AI assistant will rapidly fall into disuse. This Phase does not end until decommissioning, and so is a continuous learning and adaptation phase, and hopefully one in which the AI assistant becomes a valued part of the aviation system in which it serves. This phase implies successive AI Maintenance activities (such as continuous monitoring and benchmarking, and model retraining whenever necessary).
Human-AI Teaming Questionnaire (HAIQU)
5th applicationA web app for collaborative expert analysis of AI systems against Human Factors requirements.
Societal Acceptance Questionnaire
A questionnaire to measure perceptions and attitudes toward use of an AI-based system
Safety Culture Debrief
A short questionnaire for aviation workers (pilots and ATCOs) to elicit perceptions and judgements about an IAs potential impact on Safety Culture.
User Journey Map
Map real user experiences to uncover gaps, pain points, and improvement opportunities.
AI Maintenance activities
- Monitor and benchmark
- Model retraining
Design Iteration
Redesign mockup and review concept based on first simulations. Go back to previous steps in the path if necessary