Man-Computer Symbiosis — J.C.R. Linklider

J.C.R. Linklider

The classic paper Man-Computer Symbiosis was written in 1960 by a thinking man, regarding the ultimate goal for machine assistance in his work.

We require anyone working in a cognitive discipline to review it. Professions like medicine and law will not digitize successfully until computers are designed to automate routine cognitive tasks, instead of creating them.

“Man-computer symbiosis is an expected development in cooperative interaction between men and electronic computers. It will involve very close coupling between the human and the electronic members of the partnership. The main aims are 1) to let computers facilitate formulative thinking as they now facilitate the solution of formulated problems, and 2) to enable men and computers to cooperate in making decisions and controlling complex situations without inflexible dependence on predetermined programs. In the anticipated symbiotic partnership, men will set the goals, formulate the hypotheses, determine the criteria, and perform the evaluations. Computing machines will do the routinizable work that must be done to prepare the way for insights and decisions in technical and scientific thinking. Preliminary analyses indicate that the symbiotic partnership will perform intellectual operations much more effectively than man alone can perform them.” — JCR Linklider

J.C.R Linklider is of particular interest to our group because of his optimism. Despite working on early computers at the US Pentagon during the height of the Cold War, he retained a prosocial view of technological development. We believe this attitude is essential when developing new technologies that have the potential to cause harm.