A computer is limited in its ability to communicate because of the highly specialized ways of inputting and outputting data. Humans not only have easy input procedures through the physical senses but also have highly developed systems of natural language that allow for rapid output. People are creative and highly flexible. Computers are basically inflexible because they can do what they have been programmed to do. People are able to cope with situations that are abstract and undefined. Computers are incapable of handling one single situation that has not been anticipated. People are aware of themselves and of their emotions, but self-consciousness and emotions are not part of a computer's logic.

Many people are curious about the similarities that exist between machines and people. The area of study that investigates human-controlled activities and similar machine operations is called cybernetics. Cybernetics not only refers to the ways in which similar things are done by human and machines, but also to their relationships. The area of research that is most involved with the similarities between computers and human thinking is called artificial intelligence.

Research into artificial intelligence is concerned with discovering and describing the kinds of human intellectual activities that can be simulated by computers. The intellectual power of computing machinery comes from its ability to combine arithmetic and logic in its operations. A computer is capable of accurate addition, subtraction, manipulation, and division plus true/ false and yes/ no operations. These abilities coupled with the ability to compare, move, position, and copy information create a powerful problem-solving tool. The computer is considered to be a thinking machine because it appears to perform the same activities as people do when they are thinking.