The Tactile Internet: Automation or Augmentation of the Human?

The idea of remotely controlling machines via the Internet for the purpose of automated tele-manufacturing and shared use of manufacturing facilities by users worldwide has been studied since the late 1990s. This idea is now part of the vision of the emerging Tactile Internet, which lies at the nexus of computerization, automation, and robotization. Similar to future 5G cellular networks, the Tactile Internet is anticipated to rely on the full yet flexible convergence of different fixed and mobile access technologies, given that some use cases do not require mobility all the time. While necessary, though, the design of ultra-reliable and low-latency converged communication network infrastructures is not sufficient to unleash the full potential of the Tactile Internet. In this paper, we put forward the idea that the Tactile Internet may be the harbinger of human augmentation and human–machine symbiosis envisioned by contemporary and early-day Internet pioneers. In search for synergies between humans and machines/robots, we explore the idea of treating the human as a “member” of a team of intelligent machines rather than keep viewing him as a conventional “user” while putting a particular focus on developing systems that are human-aware and help advance the human condition, e.g., economic inequality.