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This lecture traces some of the roots of Human-Computer Confluence (HCC) through the research programmes of the European Commission. It illustrates several steps along this path that, more than anything else, highlight the diversity of approaches that are covered by HCC. HCC is then also compared to other visions of convergent research. By combining the human and computer realms in a single vision, HCC is a highly interdisciplinary topic. The lecture also provides some hints on how to approach this in a practical way. Finally, it provides a preview of what might be next in terms of HCC research.
I am strategy and project officer for Future and Emerging Technologies (FET), a funding programme of the European Commission for longer term science and technology research. My ambition is to turn Europe into the best place for interdisciplinary collaborative research on future technologies. Originally trained as a mathematician, I obtained a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. After post-doctoral positions in Pittsburgh and Barcelona, and several years of co-directing the VUB AI-Lab, I became director of research of Starlab, a multidisciplinary research company. I have also helped large companies to organise their in-house research, universities to break down disciplinary silos. My research background covers topics in machine learning, multi-agent systems, context- awareness, wearable computers, intelligent clothing, communityware and converging technologies, though my work in FET keeps on pushing my curiosity far beyond.