Licklider introduces the idea of the Man-Computer Symbiosis as a means to explore how the man and computer can work together to facilitate faster methods of making decisions, gathering information, and faster ways for machines to help humans in any way possible. His essay is interesting because at times you are not sure if he is contradicting himself and his idea of the man-computer symbiosis. He makes the point of addressing the fact that the computer is capable of performing faster tasks then humans and that eventually technical thinking should be performed by the computer. He does go in to detail about where there would/could be a separation between the man and computer which makes you wonder if he fully felt that the man-computer symbiosis would always hold true to our ever changing technologies.

An example of Licklider’s going back and forth between the idea of symbiosis is clear in his statements from paragraph four. Licklider states at first, “it seems that the contributions of human operators and equipment will blend together so completely in many operations that it will be difficult to separate them neatly in analysis” and later he states, “In other operations, however, the contributions of men and equipment will be to some extent separable” (77). I think it was wise for him to acknowledge the fact that of course humans and computers will have some jobs that are only meant for either the human or computer, but because this is so, why does he continue to vouch for man computer symbiosis? He clearly states that inevitably symbiosis at the level of one element being dependent on the other in regards to humans and computer will not be the case in the future. He states a separation but not the idea of computers being in complete control.

Later in his essay he goes in to detail about how the man and computer can work together to perform tasks that are always going to be needed. For example, Licklider suggests something along the lines of a Desk-Surface Display and Control. It is funny that today we have reached the time of having a desk that can work with our information. I am not sure of the name of the product, but how it works it that whatever you place on the table will bring up the interface and all of the information that you have within the specific device. For example, if you put your phone on the table, all of the information on the phone would come up, addresses, text messages and so on. But just as I had issues with Licklider’s man-computer symbiosis theory, it applies to a lot that we have been discussing in class.

The table for example is the computer helping us as Licklider would have wanted however; there is still the disparity in the issue of the human putting in information and programming the phone and then the computer’s job of finding this information and bringing it up for display. In class we have mentioned and suggested that soon computers will not need human input and I agree with this. With this in mind, reading Licklider’s essay made me question why he didn’t see computers taking over the job or task solely in the future. What he suggested has happened to a certain extent but the idea of symbiosis is quickly diminishing. I think this all comes back to the debate of how in control humans really are when it comes to computers. Yes, for a time there was going to be a man-computer relationship but just as the computer is capable of performing tasks better than humans, there are areas where humans would not allow computers to take full control. I think what is more pressing and what Licklider does not explore is the fact that we as humans may not think or want computers in certain aspects of our lives but as time goes along and we make computers more intelligent we may no longer have a say in this matter.