AUGMENTING HUMAN INTELLECT: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

This seminal 1962 report by Douglas Engelbart on “human augmentation” represents a watershed document for modern computing and a vision for amplifying human life with technology. The report covers the first phase of a program aimed at developing new tools for advancing human intelligence within a digital era. In this prescient document, Engelbart lays out concepts that would ultimately become the Internet and World Wide Web, the “mouse”, and hypertext in defining and shaping modern life. More importantly, the report promotes an entirely new way of thinking, collaborating, and learning with computers. His simple vision-so pertinent to the 21st century-was that new tools continually augment our collective capability to solve complex problems.