Complexity in Aircraft Automation-A Precursor for Concerns in Human-Automation Systems

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One of the clearest trends in the late twentieth century has been the increasing growth and complexity of automation in modern society. The automation of mechanical systems that accompanied the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century was primarily directed at increasing the physical capability of humans with the goal of increasing manufacturing productivity. The automation of information systems in the twentieth century has generally been directed at increasing the cognitive capability of humans, again with the goal of increasing productivity in the information age. Unlike mechanical automation, which reduced human workload, advanced information systems appear to have increased …