Synthesising augmentation and automation

Abstract

Historically, there has been a tendency to consider hypertext as a type of system, perhaps characterised by provision of links or other structure to users. In this article, we consider hypertext as a method of inquiry, a way of viewing arbitrary systems. In this view, what are traditionally called "navigational hypertext systems" might be considered as information retrieval systems. This opens the hypertext field to various other types of systems that traditionally would not be considered as part of the field. The change of view enables a deeper fusion of human and machine. In particular, today's AI-based, intelligent systems open the demand of synthesising automation (on the machine's side) and augmentation (on the user's side). This article is not about researching AI systems; it is about extending the view of hypertext systems to synthesise augmentation and automation. We specifically apply this view to intelligent systems, asking the question about how hypertext can act as a common medium between human and machine, particularly for knowledge intensive tasks. We propose spatial hypertext as a medium that enables users to create cognitive maps. Along these lines, we provide examples from multiple projects and examine how these applications can be productive.

Seven Hypertexts

“…Tools for argumentation were Hypertext's response to the second Summer of AI, a quest for clarity in the face of bias, and a way of encouraging users to engage in more structured thinking. Systems such as gIBIS [49] embedded methodologies for analysing 'wicked problems' (IBIS was originally conceived to help policy formation [165]), whereas AQUANET [121] took the finer grained approach of using Toulmin structures as its linking model 8 .…”

“…See: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-loop 31. A notable exception is the work of Atzenbeck and collaborators[7,8,11,169,171].…”