About Timothy Peine

I study how AI becomes embedded in the cognitive routines through which professionals interpret information and make decisions. My research examines whether sustained AI use strengthens human judgment or quietly erodes the regulatory processes that define autonomous thinking. This question has direct consequences for how organizations train their workforce, assign accountability, and design AI-augmented roles.

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I approach this through Augmented Cognitive Extension (ACE), a theoretical framework I've developed with Dr. Kaveh Abhari at San Diego State University's Digital Innovation Lab. ACE identifies five regulatory mechanisms that govern how AI becomes internalized within cognition: attentional synchronization, epistemic calibration, affective attunement, risk construal, and narrative preservation. My research traces how these mechanisms shift across stages of use, and how those shifts distinguish cognitive augmentation from cognitive atrophy.

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I have a manuscript accepted for presentation at the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCII 2026), a second manuscript under review at the European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2026), and additional papers in preparation for AMCIS 2026. I'm currently conducting mixed-methods research to operationalize how cognitive regulation unfolds over time, with plans to extend this work into organizational field studies examining AI adoption in professional services and knowledge work settings.

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Before fully committing to academia, I worked in operations management, technology assurance at KPMG, and various roles spanning cybersecurity, marketing, and construction. These experiences gave me a grounded view of how tools shape agency differently across contexts, a perspective that continues to inform my research. I also maintain a parallel creative practice in photography, which has trained my eye for pattern recognition and narrative construction.

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I'm completing my Bachelor of Science in Information Systems at San Diego State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude in May 2026. I plan to apply to PhD programs for Fall 2027 with the goal of pursuing a scholar-practitioner career that bridges rigorous research with organizational practice. I'm particularly interested in developing theory that informs how firms design, implement, and govern AI systems in ways that preserve human expertise and accountability. My research aims to produce both publishable contributions and actionable principles for organizations navigating AI adoption.