Why is Human-Model Interaction Important to the Future of Systems Engineering?

In our envisioned future, we see engineers, analysts, and decision makers immersed in highly interactive model-centric environments using digital system models as a primary basis for system decisions. While significant progress on modeling languages, modeling practices, and modeling methods has been achieved, insufficient attention has been given to the necessary interactivity between humans and models. Models are used by humans, and that interaction influences both how models are conceived and how they are used in decisions. Accordingly, we need to understand the factors and conditions under which people trust and distrust models. Ongoing research investigation of model-centric decision making and trust, including a recent interview-based study involving 30 experts, has generated many useful insights.  This talk shares collective wisdom of experts on why we trust (or distrust) models as a basis for making systems decisions, and discusses guiding heuristics for effective human-model interaction.