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the idea

The idea behind this research is this: wouldn't it be great to have a device which was capable of experiencing everything that you experience and was then able to discuss it with you in the manner of a long standing friend - in other words a "digital friend".

Most friends experience only a portion of what you experience. If this device experienced everything that you experience, then it would be like a "digital you".

In short then, wouldn't it be great for me to go through life with a digital assistant which, over time, became more and more like a "digital me".

background

In his 1962 paper, Augmenting Human Intellect, Douglas Engelbart wrote:

By “augmenting human intellect” we mean increasing the capability of a man to approach a complex problem situation, to gain comprehension to suit his particular needs, and to derive solutions to problems. Increased capability in this respect is taken to mean a mixture of the following: more-rapid comprehension, better comprehension, the possibility of gaining a useful degree of comprehension in a situation that previously was too complex, speedier solutions, better solutions, and the possibility of finding solutions to problems that before seemed insoluble. And by “complex situations” we include the professional problems of diplomats, executives, social scientists, life scientists, physical scientists, attorneys, designers--whether the problem situation exists for twenty minutes or twenty years.

to be continued

Last updated:05/11/2002