A Framework for Task Cooperation within Systems Containing Intelligent Components

The increased power and speed of computers, coupled with the potential application of artificial intelligence within command and control (C2) systems, has complicated decisions regarding allocation of tasks to humans and computers. A new approach to addressing human-computer interaction issues-dubbed "cognitive systems engineering"-can be used as the basis for designing human-computer cooperation into C2 systems. Fusion, a specific aspect of C2 systems, is selected as a testbed for developing C2 cognitive engineering principles. The principles are developed by examining the relationship between how unaided human judges perform fusion and how systems currently perform fusion, assessing where problems do and could occur, and recommending first steps toward their solution via cooperative human-computer interaction. The issue of C2 data relevance determination appears to be a particularly appropriate candidate for joint human-computer problem solving.