The Algorithmic Division of Labor

According to its original idea, the computer is the material embodiment of an algorithm. Algorithms are devised and are put into the form of a program by humans, the machine doing nothing but execute the program step by step. The process of computing is thus organized as a division of labor between a logic process in the machine and a creative process in the human head. The machine's strength is to be deterministic (meaning that the machine never deviates from the steps proscribed in the program) and blindingly fast, whereas only humans possess the infrastructure necessary to create programs. This creative infrastructure comprises goal projections, insight into the application domain, strategies, methods, exemplary templates, interpretation, and the ability to diagnose data and processes in full detail.

The algorithmic division of labor necessitates an umbilical cord between the creative process in the human brain and the logic process in the computer. There has to be detailed communication between man and machine so that the human be able to potentially inspect every data bit and every command execution, as they may have to be set right in the case of malfunction. The requirement for detailed communication is a very costly constraint on the over-all process and may be seen as a millstone around the neck of computing. Detailed communication is not a trivial matter as the computer is a million times faster than the human brain. Due to the necessity for detailed communication, only processes are possible that can be described by the relatively short program elements that fit the human attention span.