The work shows the following contents: The article continues to sub-classify the concept of a symbiotic relationship between humans and computers within the overall relationship between men and machines generally (human–machine systems), and outlines the intentions of its author in the possibility within the future of a relationship for the benefit of human thinking. Part I
B references
J. D. North's "The rational behavior of mechanically extended man" to begin a brief discussion on "mechanically extended man" and proceeds to include developments and future developments within
artificial intelligence.
Part II Part II is titled "Aims of Man–Computer Symbiosis". Licklider opens with the notion that the function of present-day computers is to solve pre-formulated problems, and suggests that, while the act of programming forces one to discipline and clearly articulate their thought process, the complexity of particular problems may indeed become an arduous task. Problems of this type are suggested to be solved both easier and faster “through an intuitively guided trial-and-error procedure in which the computer cooperated, turning up flaws in the reasoning or revealing unexpected turns in the solution.” Licklider goes on to reference the
Henri Poincaré quote of “the question is not “what is the answer?”. The question is “what is the question?”. Further, Licklider outlines two primary aims of human–computer symbiosis: the first of which being “to bring the computing machine effectively into the formulation parts of technical problems”; the second being “to bring computing machines effectively into processes of thinking that must go on in “real time”, time that moves too fast to use computers in conventional ways”. Licklider closes with the statement of, in order to reach comparable human–computer interaction to that between two colleagues, far greater coupling between machine and man will be required than is currently technologically feasible.
Part III Part III is titled "Need for Computer Participation in Formulative and Real-Time Thinking" and begins by continuing from a preceding statement on the likelihood of
data-processing machines improving human thinking and
problem solving. This part proceeds to an outline of an investigation sub-headed "A Preliminary and Informal Time-and-Motion Analysis of Technical Thinking", in which Licklider investigated his own activities during the spring and summer of 1957. This discussion includes a statement on the currently understood definition of the term
computer, as "a wide class of calculating, data-processing, and information-
storage-and-
retrieval machines". Licklider begins a comparison between the so-called "
genotypic" similarities between humans and computers, in the seventh passage of this part, with a definition of humans as: and ends with the acknowledgement of differences between inherent
processing speed and use of
language.
Part IV Part IV is titled "Separable Functions of Men and Computers in the Anticipated Symbiotic Association". Licklider in the first passage of this part makes reference to the
SAGE system. The text continues to identify ways in which theoretically active computers would function in ways including: to
interpolate,
extrapolate, convert
static equations or
logical statements into dynamic
models. The part concludes with a statement of the functioning of a potential computer as performing
diagnosis,
pattern-matching, and
relevance-recognizing.
Part V Part V is the final part of the article and is titled "Prerequisites for Realization of Man–Computer Symbiosis". It has five sub-headings: • "Speed Mismatch Between Men and Computers" • "Memory Hardware Requirements" • "Memory Organization Requirements" • "The Language Problem" • "Input and Output Equipment" Part V
C mentions the concept of
trie memory. Part V
D begins by surveying the differences between
human language and
computer language, mentioning as examples of the latter:
FORTRAN; the "Information Processing Language" of
Cliff Shaw,
Allen Newell,
Herbert A. Simon, and T. O. Ellis; and
ALGOL "and related systems". Licklider says: Licklider says that a challenge is to program computers to devise their own procedures for achieving human-specified goals. Part V
E ends with a discussion of equipment for "more effective, immediate man–machine communication than can be achieved with an electric typewriter", including desk-surface display and control, large wall display, and automatic speech production and recognition. ==References of "Man–Computer Symbiosis"==