Executive summary
Introduction
The ability to enhance one’s physical, psychological or social capability has been a source
of power throughout history, and warfare is the epitome of this dynamic. The paradox
of war is that humans are central to its conduct but are also the weakest link. We want
‘war fighters’ – whether they be cyber specialists, drone pilots or infantry soldiers – to
be stronger, faster, more intelligent, more resilient and more mobile to overcome the
environment and the adversary. We have designed increasingly complex technologies
to enhance lethality, survivability and mobility. As technology has become more
sophisticated our thinking has become more focused on the machine rather than the
person, but this needs to change if we are going to be effective in the future.
Recent advances in the life sciences and related technologies have led to the emergence
of the interdisciplinary field known as human augmentation which has the potential to
disrupt every aspect of our lives. The interdependencies and potential implications of
human augmentation are so vast and complex that it is difficult to make sense of what it
means for the future of society and Defence. The aim of this strategic implications project
is to take the first step in making sense of these potential changes to human capabilities.
It offers a conceptual model for thinking about human augmentation, its future direction
and identifies key implications for Defence and its stakeholders.
Key observations
Human augmentation will become increasingly relevant, partly because it can directly
enhance human capability and behaviour and partly because it is the binding agent
between people and machines. Future wars will be won, not by those with the most
advanced technology, but by those who can most effectively integrate the unique
capabilities of both people and machines. The importance of human-machine teaming is
widely acknowledged but it has been viewed from a techno-centric perspective. Human
augmentation is the missing part of this puzzle.
Thinking of the person as a platform and understanding our people at an individual level
is fundamental to successful human augmentation. Industrial Age warfare saw people
as interchangeable components of military units or the material with which to operate
the platforms – vehicles, aircraft and ships. These platforms are routinely monitored and
analysed but it is remarkable that our ability to understand our most critical capability –
the human – is so under-researched. Successful application of human augmentation
demands a more sophisticated approach to understanding our people and their
capabilities. Defining the key elements of the ‘human platform’ – physical, psychological
and social – provides a conceptual baseline to enable a multidisciplinary conversation.