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␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓βS␈↓∧ Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California 94305

␈↓ ↓H␈↓∧Telephone 415 497-4430␈↓ 	SNovember 25, 1977 




␈↓ ↓H␈↓Department of Justice
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Washington, D.C. 20530

␈↓ ↓H␈↓Gentlemen:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        On␈α∞the␈α
basis␈α∞of␈α∞the␈α
enclosed␈α∞information,␈α∞we␈α
have␈α∞come␈α
to␈α∞believe␈α∞that␈α
there␈α∞is␈α∞a␈α
strong
␈↓ ↓H␈↓possibility␈α
that␈α
Quasar␈αIndustries␈α
of␈α
Rutherford,␈α
New␈αJersey␈α
is␈α
engaging␈αin␈α
fraud,␈α
and␈α
we␈αhope
␈↓ ↓H␈↓you will investigate.  Here are some relevant facts:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        #.␈αIn␈αJuly,␈αQuasar␈αand␈αits␈αpresident,␈αAnthony␈αReichelt,␈αclaimed␈αthat␈αthey␈αwere␈αdeveloping␈αa
␈↓ ↓H␈↓domestic robot that could act as a general purpose servant.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        #.␈α
These␈α
claims␈αreceived␈α
nationwide␈α
publicity␈α
including␈α␈↓↓Newsweek␈↓,␈α
␈↓↓Parade␈↓,␈α
and␈αthe␈α
enclosed
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Associated␈α∩Press␈α∩dispatch␈α⊃which␈α∩led␈α∩to␈α⊃numerous␈α∩stories.␈α∩ Unfortunately,␈α⊃none␈α∩of␈α∩the␈α⊃stories
␈↓ ↓H␈↓expressed any skepticism about the claims.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        #.␈α∂Experts␈α⊂in␈α∂arti≡cial␈α⊂intelligence␈α∂and␈α⊂robotics␈α∂at␈α⊂M.I.T.,␈α∂Stanford␈α⊂University,␈α∂Carnegie-
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Mellon␈α
University,␈α
Rutgers␈αand␈α
many␈α
others␈α
unanimously␈αagree␈α
that␈α
such␈αa␈α
robot␈α
is␈α
far␈αbeyond
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α⊂current␈α∂state␈α⊂of␈α∂the␈α⊂art␈α∂as␈α⊂we␈α∂know␈α⊂it.␈α∂ While␈α⊂it␈α∂is␈α⊂possible␈α∂that␈α⊂someone␈α∂who␈α⊂has␈α∂never
␈↓ ↓H␈↓published␈αany␈αwork␈αin␈αthe␈α≡eld␈αand␈αhas␈αno␈αtraining␈αin␈αit␈αcould␈αbe␈αfar␈αahead␈αof␈αall␈αof␈αus,␈αwe␈αare
␈↓ ↓H␈↓entitled to be skeptical.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        #.␈α∂Many␈α∂demonstrations␈α∂of␈α∂the␈α∂Quasar␈α⊂robot␈α∂were␈α∂held␈α∂at␈α∂department␈α∂stores␈α⊂in␈α∂di≥ereet
␈↓ ↓H␈↓cities.␈α Graduate␈α
students␈αin␈αarti≡cial␈α
intelligence␈αfrom␈αCarnegie-Mellon␈α
investigated␈αtwo␈α
of␈αthem
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and␈α∞found␈α∞evidence␈α∞of␈α∞remote␈α∞control␈α∞of␈α∞both␈α∞movements␈α∞and␈α∞speech.␈α∞ Computer␈α∂experts␈α∞from
␈↓ ↓H␈↓General␈αMotors␈αinvestigated␈αan␈αexhibition␈αof␈αthe␈αrobot␈αin␈αDetroit␈αand␈αindependently␈αcame␈αto␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓same conclusion.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        #.␈α∩Recent␈α∩attempts␈α∪by␈α∩news␈α∩media␈α∪to␈α∩investigate␈α∩Quasar␈α∪have␈α∩met␈α∩with␈α∪evasions␈α∩and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓answers to questions inconsistent with the claims the company has made.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        #.␈α∞The␈α∞enclosed␈α∞copy␈α∞of␈α∞a␈α∞Quasar␈α∞brochure␈α∞is␈α∞consistent␈α∞with␈α∞the␈α∞possibility␈α∞that␈α∞Quasar
␈↓ ↓H␈↓selects␈αfrom␈αits␈αletters␈αof␈αinquiry,␈αthose␈αthat␈αlead␈αthem␈αto␈αpeople␈αeasily␈αswindled.␈α These␈αwould␈αbe,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓for␈α
example,␈α∞elderly␈α
well-to-do␈α∞people␈α
who␈α
need␈α∞household␈α
help.␈α∞ The␈α
following␈α∞quotation␈α
from
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α∞brochure␈α∞suggests␈α∞that␈α∞potential␈α∞victims␈α∞could␈α∞easily␈α∞be␈α∞spotted␈α∞in␈α∞the␈α∞guise␈α∞of␈α∞determining
␈↓ ↓H␈↓how to match the personality of the robot to the personality of the customer.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        ␈↓↓"The␈α↔DA-2␈α⊗model␈α↔is␈α⊗available␈α↔only␈α↔by␈α⊗reserved␈α↔production␈α⊗number␈α↔order␈α↔to␈α⊗quali≡ed
␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓individuals␈α∀and␈α∀corporations.␈α∀ The␈α∀specialized␈α∀nature␈α∀of␈α∀these␈α∀Robots␈α∀require␈α∃a␈α∀compatability
␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓program␈α
analysis␈α
with␈α
prospective␈α
owners␈α
before␈α
delivery,␈α
to␈α
establish␈α
gender,␈α
personality,␈α
intelligence
␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓level required and specialized internal sub-systems.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αDepartment of Justice␈↓ ¬NNovember 25, 1977␈↓ 
nPage 2␈↓↓ 


␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓        "Inquiries␈α∪are␈α∩now␈α∪being␈α∩received␈α∪for␈α∩sponsor␈α∪application␈α∩forms␈α∪to␈α∪determine␈α∩individual
␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓quali≡cationa and requirements"␈↓.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        We␈α
don't␈α
know␈α
whether␈α
making␈α
false␈α
claims␈αis␈α
illegal␈α
until␈α
they␈α
actually␈α
take␈α
money␈αfrom
␈↓ ↓H␈↓someone.␈α⊂ It␈α⊂is␈α⊂certainly␈α⊃harmful,␈α⊂because␈α⊂it␈α⊂makes␈α⊃di≠cult␈α⊂informed␈α⊂public␈α⊂discussion␈α⊃of␈α⊂the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓policy␈α
issues␈αraised␈α
by␈αactual␈α
scienti≡c␈α
advances.␈α However,␈α
it␈αis␈α
 possible␈αthat␈α
they␈α
have␈αalready
␈↓ ↓H␈↓taken money fraudulently from credulous investors or customers.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Much␈α
more␈αmaterial␈α
about␈α
Quasar␈αand␈α
its␈αclaims␈α
has␈α
been␈αaccumulated␈α
by␈α
individuals␈αin
␈↓ ↓H␈↓various␈αarti≡cial␈αintelligence␈α
laboratories,␈αand␈αwe␈α
will␈αall␈αbe␈α
glad␈αto␈αprovide␈α
further␈αinformation.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓You␈αcan␈αreach␈αus␈αat␈αthe␈αabove␈αaddresses␈αand␈αtelephone␈αnumbers.␈α If␈αyou␈αare␈αnot␈αthe␈αright␈α
agency
␈↓ ↓H␈↓to investigate, please refer the matter to that agency, or let us know to whom we should refer it.



␈↓ ↓H␈↓John McCarthy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Professor of Computer Science
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Director, Arti≡cial Inteligence Laboratory
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Stanford University
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Stanford, California 94304
␈↓ ↓H␈↓telephone: (415) 497-4430



␈↓ ↓H␈↓Marvin Minsky
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Donner Professor of Science
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Massachusetts Institute of Technology
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
␈↓ ↓H␈↓telephone: (617) 253-5864



␈↓ ↓H␈↓Brian Reid
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Computer Science Department
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Carnegie-Mellon University
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


␈↓ ↓H␈↓cc: Chief Postal Inspector,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Main Postal Service Building,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Washington DC 20260