Final answer:
An autonomous program is software designed to operate independently, similar to biochemical machines in an organism, and plays a crucial role in supporting decision-making in complex automated systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
An autonomous program, designed to run without human interaction once started, is essentially a piece of software that can operate on its own according to a set of pre-defined rules and input it receives. The behavior of such a program is analogous to the way a computer uses input history to predict or decide what it will do next. Similarly, humans use their genetic make-up combined with their experience to decide their next actions. In the context of complex automated systems, these autonomous programs often become integral, especially in scenarios that include human and software interactions. They are critical in facilitating the decision-making processes of workers who are supported by the software system. In a biochemical analogy, an autonomous program can be likened to the biochemical machines within a living organism that function 'randomly' but in a manner that is guided by a specific purpose, much like an assembly line in a factory setting.