Soothsayers of the electronic age

Abstract

Within our lifetimes, we have seen three generations of computers flourish and fade into the archives of technology. Today we are experiencing the fruits of the Fourth Generation. Our expectations of the Fifth Generation are the focus of this conference and, indeed, of the plans for our immediate future. From these expectations, we can extrapolate to the Sixth Generation. But what lies beyond? Three noted thinkers in the computer industry comprise this panel of soothsayers, examining the omens and auguries of this electronic age. Dr. Carl Hammer investigates the scenario beyond the data processing horizon. He explores processing by systems which are intelligent, expert, and capable of making complex decisions, human decisions. Dr. Kerry Joels predicts the Seventh Generation system, giving specifications, capabilities, and costs of a likely model. He maps the route for reaching the Seventh Generation and points out the landmarks on a journey we have already begun. Dr. Alan Kay foretells the future of small computers in an age of democratization of access and universal computer literacy. Each speaker will address the interaction between the demands of technology on society and the demands society will make of its technology. And each will forecast a future which could be possible, should we wish it to be.