According to J.C.R. Licklider, one of the main aims of man-computer symbiosis “is to bring computing machines effectively into processes of thinking that must go on in ‘real time’” (75). Instead of programming the computer to complete a certain task, the machine would be intelligent enough to accomplish it using its “mind.” Licklider hopes that there will be a future in which we work symbiotically with computers to expand our capabilities. Although he explains how computers facilitate mechanical tasks, I do not believe that we could ever form a symbiotic relationship with computing machines. We rely on computers to process data that we input, to help us. It is a one-sided relationship because we program the computer to execute our tasks. True, we can make a machine that Norbert Weiner believes is “continually being modified by experience” and “can, in some sense, learn” but humans preprogrammed it to function this way (67). If we look at our society, we notice our increasing reliance on and use of technology. We will continue to invent ways to interact with the computer and to program it to perform our work. But just because we depend on machines more than we have in the past does not mean that we will solely use technology in the future.

For centuries, humans have done complex computations without the use of technology. Machines may produce results quickly but one could argue that we have become lazier. Of course, this depends on the situation. Scientists could use computers to analyze data that would normally take a long time if done by a human; on the other hand, another person could use machines to complete everyday tasks simply because they are too lazy. The way we use machines depends on who is in control.

For instance, Vannevar Bush claims that although technology has enabled humans “to throw masses of people against one another with cruel weapons,” it may help us “encompass the great record and to grow in the wisdom of race experience” (47). Something as powerful as the machine can hurt the human race, such as the hydrogen bombs dropped during World War II. If we manage to take advantage of these applications of science to help humanity, we can transform how we work and live. Bush proposes the “memex,” which would transform communication and lead to new media. It is a large database that involves “trails of interest” that link together. The Internet has hyperlinks as well as “menu-based interactivity” that help users browse through things more easily. The focus is on how we can make our lives easier by accessing information found universally. We work together to expand the database and share our inputs with friends, family, and strangers. I think the fact that we use the computer more has in some ways brought humans closer together. New media has connected people around the world together and if we think twice before releasing the genie in the bottle, as Wiener puts it, we can invent technology that would help humanity progress. We are still in the beginning of the computer era and I am curious to see what other savvy gadgets or applications people can create. The rate of release of new technology is impressive, considering how we did not start using the computer regularly until several decades ago.