Cybernetics furthers this process, moving it to a higher level—since it is theoretically capable of producing things the structure of which will not be understood by anyone. A cybernetic device thus becomes a “black box” (a term frequently used by experts). A “black box” can be a regulator involved in a particular process (one that involves the production of goods, their economic circulation, the coordination of transportation, curing an illness, etc.). The important thing is for given “inputs” to correspond to given “outputs”—that is all.

The “black boxes” constructed at the present moment [1964-ed] are still quite simple, which is why an engineer–cyberneticist is able to understand the relationship between such pairs—which is represented by a mathematical function.

Yet a situation may arise when even he will not know a mathematical representation of this function. The designer’s task will be to build a “black box” which performs the necessary regulation. But neither the designer nor anyone else will know how this “black box” is performing it. He will not know the mathematical function representing the correlation between “inputs” and “outputs.”

A “black box” cannot be programmed with an algorithm. An algorithm is a ready-made program that predicts everything in advance. It is commonly said that an algorithm is a scientific, repeatable, and reproducible prescription that shows how to solve a particular task step by step. Any formalized proof of a mathematical thesis and a computer program that undertakes translation from one language into another are all algorithms...

Yet when it comes to very complex systems such as society, the brain, or the yet nonexistent “very large black boxes,” it is not possible to gain such knowledge, as systems of this kind do not have algorithms...