The Collaboratory for Uncertainty Management in the Age of AI
The Collaboratory for Uncertainty Management in the Age of AI (CUMAAI, pronounced "koo-my") is an international research initiative originally founded by the Stanford University Center for Sustainable Development and Global Competitiveness (https://sdgc.stanford.edu), the IE University's Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (https://www.ie.edu/entrepreneurship/), and researchers at the University of California, Berkeley (https://berkeley.edu/).
This cross-institutional effort explores how humans can thrive intellectually and professionally while managing uncertainty in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). It unites researchers and educators committed to ensuring that AI enhances—rather than replaces—human judgment, creativity, and reasoning.
***Check out Professor Paris de L'etraz's Keynote titled "Beyond Cognitive Offloading: Building Super Workers in the Age of AI" at the ICAN Ignite Symposium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 27 January 2026.***
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Mission
The Collaboratory’s mission is twofold:
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The Role of PW Theory
The PW Theory, developed through over a decade of research by faculty at IE University, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, posits that an individual’s comfort with uncertainty manifests differently in personal life (P) and work life (W).
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The intersection of these two dimensions (e.g., P2W4, P3W1) forms a unique “uncertainty signature” that influences how people make decisions, embrace innovation, and engage with AI.
PW Theory provides a scientific framework to:
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AI and Cognitive Offloading
The rise of generative AI has created a paradox: tools meant to empower us can, if misused, erode our critical thinking and problem-solving capacity. Cognitive offloading—the process of shifting mental effort onto technology—can lead to intellectual complacency if not consciously managed.
The Collaboratory’s research addresses this phenomenon directly by:
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In this sense, PW Theory becomes both a measurement framework and a strategy for cognitive resilience in the digital age. See more about this from Professor Paris de L'etraz's TEDx talk at TEDxIEMadrid.
Empowering "Thinking Humans: Human Engagement in the Age of AI"
To translate research into global impact, the Collaboratory is engaged in an international outreach program called "Thinking Humans: Human Engagement in the Age of AI". This initiative aims to engage students, educators, policymakers, and professionals worldwide in a movement for rational and conscious AI use and adoption.
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| The “Thinking Humans” initiative has a multi-tiered awareness strategy: | ||
| 1. Educational Outreach in Schools and Universities | ||
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| 2. Public Awareness Media | ||
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| 3. AI Literacy Measurement & Development Tools | ||
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| 4. Global Collaboratory | ||
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Vision
The Collaboratory envisions a future where humans evolve alongside AI, not beneath it. By embedding PW Theory into global education and workplace learning systems, and by promoting AI literacy through the Thinking Humans initiative, the Collaboratory will help shape a generation that is:
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Through research, education, and global outreach, the Collaboratory will ensure that the future of intelligence, human and artificial alike, remains human at its core.
By correlating PW profiles with behaviors in AI adoption, the Collaboratory can identify which personality types are more prone to cognitive offloading (outsourcing thinking to machines) and which are better at maintaining cognitive engagement (using AI critically and reflectively).
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Description and Collaboratory Partners
As described by William A. Wulf in 1989 a collaboratory is "a center without walls, in which the nation's researchers can perform their research without regard to physical location - interacting with colleagues, accessing instrumentation, sharing data and computational resources, [and] accessing information in digital libraries." (Wulf, W.A. (1993) "The Collaboratory Opportunity" Science 261(5123):854-856) Recent research has concluded that the "collaborative learning laboratory model, the 'Collaboratory', expands and enhances procedures and practices, filling gaps between the technical and non-technical issues...via virtual and remote telecommunications in reliable and synergistic ways." (Handman, D., & Albert, R. (2017). "The Collaboratory Experience" Journal of The Colloquium for Information System Security Education 4(2):1-11). Thus, the Collaboratory for Uncertainty Management in the Age of AI (CUMAAI, pronounced "koo-my") is an international research "center without walls" bringing together expertise in the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship, cross-cultural learning and knowledge management, and generative AI in education.
Stanford University Center for Sustainable Development and Global Competitiveness
The Stanford University Center for Sustainable Development and Global Competitiveness engages in multidisciplinary research that advances sustainable practices across multiple cultures, businesses, industries and economies. The Center's researchers strive to learn more about the cross-cultural implications of globalized growth and the implementation of strategies to facilitate sustainably sound development. SDGC looks to develop a better understanding of cross-culture and multidisciplinary based learning, decision making, and leadership development. Its focus is on how to more efficiently and effectively foster innovation and to develop better leadership. The goal of such research is to facilitate a conversation focusing on organizational decision making and behavior in an interdisciplinary (but disciplined) and cross-cultural fashion, considering today’s global networked society. The intention is scientific, to explore disciplinary and cultural differences in order to identify fundamental commonalities in processes of innovation.
Stanford University Researchers:
Professor Michael D Lepech, Faculty Director, Stanford University Center for Sustainable Development and Global Competitiveness and Faculty Director, Stanford Technology Ventures Program
Dr. Jie Wang, Executive Director, Stanford University Center for Sustainable Development and Global Competitiveness
IE Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center
The IE Business School, located in Madrid, Spain, was founded in 1973 by a group of ambitious entrepreneurs. These individuals set the tone for what IE Business School would become—a dynamic institution committed to innovation, disruption, and above all, entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is part of the school's DNA and it is that entrepreneurial spirit that defines it.The IE Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (https://www.ie.edu/entrepreneurship/) has a mission to support the development and consolidation of IE student and alumni start-up companies, both in Spain and abroad. The Center is also proud to support initiatives seeking to make an impact on society by promoting positive growth and social change.
IE Business School Researchers:
Professor Paris de L'etraz, Managing Director and Professor of Entrepreneurship, IE Venture Lab
Adjunct Professor Gaelle Bou Abdo, Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship, IE Venture Lab
Ms. Sara-Nel Ünal, PhD Candidate, IE University
IE School of Science and Technology
The IE School of Science and Technology at IE University focuses on interdisciplinary STEM education, cutting-edge research, and entrepreneurial innovation. It offers programs in areas like data science, AI, computer science, and environmental science, blending technical expertise with a global, business-oriented approach. The school drives applied research through labs and the IEX Research Xcelerator, tackling global challenges in health, energy, climate, and finance. Strong industry and academic partnerships provide students with real-world learning, while initiatives like bootcamps and datathons foster an entrepreneurial mindset. Its global outlook and experiential learning prepare students to lead in tech-driven fields.
IE School of Science and Technology Researchers:
Professor Ikhlaq Sidhu, Dean and Professor, IE School of Science and Technology, Former Director and Chief Scientist, Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, University of California, Berkeley.