Man–Computer Symbiosis

"Man–Computer Symbiosis" is a work by J. C. R. Licklider published in 1960. The paper contained ideas now considered fundamental to the modern computing revolution.

The work describes Licklider's vision of a complementary relationship between humans and computers at some time in the future. According to Bardini, Licklider envisioned a time when machine cognition ("cerebration") would surpass, and become independent of, human direction, as a basic stage of development within human evolution. Jacucci et al. describe Licklider's vision as the very tight coupling of human brains and computing machines.

As a prerequisite of human–computer symbiosis, Licklider conceived of a "thinking center", incorporating the functions of libraries and new developments in information technology, connected to other such centers through computer networks.

Streeter identifies the main empirical element of the work as the time and motion analysis covered Part III. In addition he identified two reasons for Licklider to have considered such a symbiotic human–computer relationship to be beneficial: firstly, that it might bring about an advantage emerging from the use of a computer, such that there are similarities with the necessary methodology of such a use (i.e. trial and error) to the methodology of problem solving through play, and secondarily, because of the advantage which results from using computers in battle situations. Foster states Licklider sought to promote computer use in order to "augment human intellect by freeing it from mundane tasks".

Streeter considers Licklider to be positing an escape from the limitations of the mode of computer use during his time, which was batch processing. Russell thinks Licklider was stimulated by an encounter with the newly developed PDP-1.