Citation

Read GJM, Waterson P. Ergonomics 2023; 66(11): 1653-1655.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00140139.2023.2296176

PMID

38165840

Abstract

Forty years ago, Lisanne Bainbridge published a brief paper in the journal Automatica, titled Ironies of Automation (Bainbridge Citation1983). It is likely that Bainbridge, at the time a cognitive psychologist at University College London, did not anticipate that the ideas she presented would become so influential. This special issue collection was prompted by an opportunity to recognise the 40-year anniversary of this important work. The paper argued that automation, instead of solving problems, can in fact introduce new issues, as operators lose skills and the capacity to intervene when automation fails. It is often referred to within the field of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) in response to calls for 'fully automated' systems without human involvement, including artificial intelligence (AI) based systems, and their embodiment within robotic technologies.

Various authors have revisited the Ironies of Automation over the years. At 30 years post-publication, Gordan Baxter and colleagues (Citation2012) concluded that the ironies remained relevant in the context of modern, complex technological systems. In particular, the authors reflected on two issues; one being skill degradation and the other, the difficulties associated with human monitoring of sophisticated technological systems in real time. A few years later, Barry Strauch (Citation2018) wrote a tribute paper aligning the Bainbridge's ironies with automation-related accidents that have since transpired, as well as identifying new ironies that have since emerged...

Language: en