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Single Player to Multiplayer: AI, Context, and Collaboration – John Cutler | ShipSummit | Rise8
Product expert John Cutler delivers a thought-provoking talk on one of the most underexamined risks of the AI boom: that the same tools promising to supercharge teams are quietly pushing people into single player mode. Using a sci-fi movie framing and cognitive science concepts like the four E’s of cognition (embodied, embedded, extended, and enactive), John makes the case that real understanding isn't something individuals bring to a room — it's something teams produce through interaction. He introduces three forms of metacognition teams need to develop in an AI-saturated environment, and offers a practical framework for knowing when to work alone versus when multiplayer sense-making is essential. A grounding counterpoint to the productivity hype, and a challenge to use AI as a catalyst for collaboration rather than a substitute for it.