Definition
Two usage patterns. The Centaur divides tasks between human and AI, the Cyborg interleaves them continuously. Both are shapes of the cognitive new deal.
What is at stake
Neither is the correct one. They carry different terms: the Centaur keeps a boundary that can be inspected, the Cyborg trades that boundary for fluency.
Where the word came from
- Centaur chessGarry Kasparov, from 1998, human and engine playing as one entity
- Two measured usage patternsthe jagged frontier study, 2023
How episcope came to it
The jagged frontier study, 2023, a field experiment with 758 consultants, peer reviewed and published in Organization Science in 2026. Among the consultants who used AI, the authors observed two ways of working and named them. Both outperformed people working without AI on the tasks inside the frontier, which is what makes the pair a description rather than a ranking.
What to watch for
The terms are widely associated with Ethan Mollick, the Wharton professor who carried them into general circulation, though he is third author on the paper that measured them. The paper is the source.
Papers and articles behind it
Dell'Acqua, F., McFowland III, E., Mollick, E., Lifshitz-Assaf, H., Kellogg, K., Rajendran, S., Krayer, L., Candelon, F., & Lakhani, K. R. (2026). Navigating the Jagged Technological Frontier: Field Experimental Evidence of the Effects of AI on Knowledge Worker Productivity and Quality. Organization Science, 37(2).