Working with AI: A Design Framework for Human-AI Collaboration

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly GenAI, is becoming an increasingly important part of modern work. In industrial settings, AI can support decision-making, automate routine activities, assist humans, and improve productivity. However, successful AI adoption depends on more than what the technology can do. It also depends on how people experience and work with it. This raises an important question: how should human-AI collaboration be designed so that it works well for both people and organisations? This white paper addresses that question by presenting a practical framework for designing human-AI collaboration. The framework considers the human, the AI system, the task, the organisation, and the wider societal environment. It explains what effective collaboration looks like, what conditions influence it, what requirements should be met, and what design decisions organisations should consider. The report also includes a human-AI collaborative assembly system with cobot use case to demonstrate how the framework can be applied in practice. The use case shows how design requirements can be translated into specific collaboration features and evaluated through a case study. The aim of this white paper is to provide a clear and practical guide for designing human-AI collaboration that is effective, human-centred, and responsible.