PLANNING BY MAN-MACHINE SYNERGISM: A CHARACTERIZATION OF PROCESSES AND ENVIRONMENT,

The paper describes an attempt to couple the complementary capabilities of man and machine in the context of planning and creative problem solving. Some real-world problems to which man-machine techniques can be fruitfully applied are characterized, and the types of decision dynamics influenced by these characteristics are identified. Then, how man tends to handle complexity and uncertainty is discussed in terms of the concept of cognitive economy. Next, characteristics of planning processes are discussed in terms of the hierarchical, iterative nature of planning and the stages of problem solving goal setting, alternative generation, consequence estimation, and evaluation and alternative selection. Structural attributes extracted from such characterization constitute the basic framework and guiding mechanism for interaction in Gaku, a system of computer programs designed as a step toward man-machine synergism. Features of Gaku are then described in terms of both built-in capabilities that are relatively problem independent and man-machine actions for dynamic extension of these capabilities that are problem dependent and user oriented. The latter can be seen to make the system increasingly useful and powerful as a co-evolving man-machine team. Author