In 1962, computers were widely viewed as calculation engines—tools for automation. Douglas Engelbart viewed them as tools to increase human capability in the face of complex problems.
He laid out his vision in his seminal report, Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework:
"By 'augmenting man's 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.
... We do not speak of isolated clever tricks that help in particular situations. We refer to a way of life in an integrated domain where hunches, cut-and-try, intangibles, and the human 'feel for a situation' usefully coexist with powerful concepts, streamlined technology and notation, sophisticated methods, and high-powered electronic aids."1
2025-12-18
1 Douglas Engelbart, Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework, SRI Summary Report AFOSR-3223 (1962). Selection via M. Mitchell Waldrop, The Dream Machine (2001), p. 212. ↩