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␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓βS␈↓∧ Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California 94305
␈↓ ↓H␈↓∧Telephone 415 497-4430␈↓ 	ISeptember 15, 1976




␈↓ ↓H␈↓Editor
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓↓Creative Computing␈↓
␈↓ ↓H␈↓20 Lynn≡eld Drive
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Morristown, N.J. 07960
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ ¬α␈↓αA PREJUDICED ANALYSIS␈↓

␈↓ ↓H␈↓Dear Editor:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        The␈α∞"Prejudice␈α∞Analysis"␈α∂program␈α∞by␈α∞Richard␈α∞Kahn␈α∂and␈α∞Mark␈α∞Gross␈α∞described␈α∂in␈α∞your
␈↓ ↓H␈↓September-October␈α_issue␈α_is␈α_a␈α_prize␈α_example␈α_of␈α_the␈α_misuse␈α_of␈α_computers␈α→denounced␈α_by
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Weizenbaum␈α∪and␈α∪others.␈α∪ It␈α∪falsely␈α∪claims␈α∪to␈α∪analyze,␈α∪disguises␈α∪propaganda␈α∪as␈α∪science,␈α∪and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓intimidates␈α⊂its␈α∂subjects.␈α⊂ To␈α⊂whatever␈α∂extent␈α⊂Dr.␈α⊂Siegel␈α∂of␈α⊂Tufts␈α⊂is␈α∂responsible,␈α⊂he␈α⊂has␈α∂shown
␈↓ ↓H␈↓neither the honesty required of a scientist nor the concern for subjects required of a psychiatrist.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Here are the counts of the indictment:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        1.␈α⊂␈↓αThe␈α⊂computer␈α⊂is␈α⊃used␈α⊂to␈α⊂mystify␈α⊂the␈α⊂user,␈α⊃disguise␈α⊂what␈α⊂is␈α⊂being␈α⊂done,␈α⊃and␈α⊂lend
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αscienti≡c␈αauthority␈αto␈α
opinion␈↓.␈α It␈αclaims␈αto␈α
"analyze"␈αthe␈αextent␈αof␈α
a␈αperson's␈αracial␈αprejudice.␈α
 It
␈↓ ↓H␈↓simply␈αcounts␈α
the␈αextent␈α
of␈αhis␈αagreement␈α
with␈αthe␈α
"right␈αanswers".␈α The␈α
more␈αstrongly␈α
he␈αholds
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the right opinions the less prejudiced he is said to be.  That cannot honestly be called analysis.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        2.␈α→␈↓αThe␈α_questionnaire␈α→itself␈α_is␈α→a␈α_propaganda␈α→document␈↓.␈α_ Many␈α→of␈α→the␈α_obviously
␈↓ ↓H␈↓"prejudiced"␈α⊂statements␈α⊃are␈α⊂caricatures␈α⊃of␈α⊂the␈α⊂actual␈α⊃beliefs␈α⊂of␈α⊃most␈α⊂of␈α⊂Siegel's␈α⊃foes␈α⊂-␈α⊃e.g.␈α⊂the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓opponents of busing.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        3.␈α⊂␈↓αThe␈α⊃program␈α⊂expresses␈α⊂fanatical␈α⊃intolerance␈↓.␈α⊂ Each␈α⊂item␈α⊃has␈α⊂a␈α⊂right␈α⊃response,␈α⊂and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓disagreeing slightly is counted "ANSWERED IN A RACIST MANNER".

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        4.␈α␈↓αThe␈αprogram␈αteaches␈αthat␈αobjectivity␈αis␈αracist␈↓.␈α Many␈αof␈αthe␈αstatements␈αconcern␈α
matters
␈↓ ↓H␈↓that␈α∞vary␈α∞from␈α∞area␈α∞to␈α
area,␈α∞e.g.␈α∞ whether␈α∞a␈α∞neighborhood␈α
is␈α∞open␈α∞to␈α∞Negroes,␈α∞whether␈α
welfare
␈↓ ↓H␈↓families␈α∩would␈α∩soon␈α∩follow␈α∩Black␈α⊃families␈α∩into␈α∩the␈α∩neighborhood,␈α∩whether␈α∩particular␈α⊃schools
␈↓ ↓H␈↓would␈αbe␈αbetter␈αwith␈αmore␈αminority␈αgroups,␈αand␈α
whether␈αproperty␈αvalues␈αwould␈αgo␈αup␈αor␈αdown␈α
if
␈↓ ↓H␈↓minorities␈αentered.␈α The␈αstudent␈αis␈αtaught␈αthat␈αcircumstances␈αare␈αirrelevant;␈αthe␈αnon-racist␈αanswer
␈↓ ↓H␈↓is␈α∞always␈α∞the␈α∞same.␈α∞ Many␈α∞of␈α∞the␈α∞questions␈α∞are␈α∞only␈α∞tenuously␈α∞related␈α∞to␈α∞race,␈α∞but␈α∂you're␈α∞racist
␈↓ ↓H␈↓unless you conform.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        5.␈α∞␈↓αThe␈α∂word␈α∞␈↓↓prejudice␈↓α␈α∞is␈α∂misused␈↓.␈α∞ Its␈α∞use␈α∂started␈α∞when␈α∞it␈α∂was␈α∞observed␈α∞that␈α∂many␈α∞anti-
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Negro␈α→and␈α_anti-Semitic␈α→views␈α_were␈α→based␈α_on␈α→hearsay␈α_and␈α→were␈α_usually␈α→abandoned␈α_on
␈↓ ↓H␈↓acquaintance.␈α∂ Such␈α∂a␈α∂view␈α∂is␈α∂a␈α∂prejudice,␈α∞but␈α∂many␈α∂views␈α∂called␈α∂prejudices␈α∂here␈α∂are␈α∂held␈α∞by
␈↓ ↓H␈↓people␈α∩as␈α∪much␈α∩acquainted␈α∪with␈α∩minorities␈α∪as␈α∩Siegel,␈α∩Kahn␈α∪and␈α∩Gross.␈α∪ They␈α∩still␈α∪may␈α∩be
␈↓ ↓H␈↓mistaken, but they are not prejudices unless thoughtlessly held.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αEditor␈↓ ¬LSeptember 15, 1976␈↓ 
nPage 2 


␈↓ ↓H␈↓        6.␈α⊃␈↓αThe␈α⊃program␈α⊃instigates␈α⊃and␈α⊃manipulates␈α⊃guilt␈α⊃feelings␈α⊃to␈α⊃browbeat␈α⊃students␈α⊂into
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αconformity␈↓.␈α∞ The␈α∞student␈α∞soon␈α∞recognizes␈α∞that␈α∞he␈α∞is␈α∞in␈α∞the␈α∞hands␈α∞of␈α∞fanatics.␈α∞ If␈α∞he␈α∞wants␈α
the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓good␈α
will␈αof␈α
his␈αteacher␈α
and␈αhis␈α
right-thinking␈αclassmates,␈α
he␈αwill␈α
know␈αhow␈α
he␈αmust␈α
answer␈αall
␈↓ ↓H␈↓but␈α
question␈α9.␈α
 Unless␈αhe␈α
is␈αrather␈α
subtle,␈αhe␈α
will␈α
believe␈αhe␈α
ought␈αto␈α
disagree␈αwith␈α
␈↓↓"City␈αriots␈α
are
␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓a␈α
threat␈αto␈α
our␈αsuburban␈α
life"␈↓␈αjust␈α
as␈α
he␈αmust␈α
disagree␈αwith␈α
the␈αmore␈α
traditional␈α
␈↓↓"Propery␈αvalues
␈↓ ↓H␈↓↓will go down if minorities enter the neighborhood"␈↓.  But this is the racist response.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Perhaps␈αnot␈αagreeing␈αdoesn't␈αtake␈αrioters␈αseriously␈αenough.␈α The␈αe≥ect␈αis␈αto␈αtrip␈αthe␈αunwary
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and␈αworry␈αthe␈α
wary.␈α Almost␈αno␈α
subject␈αwill␈αget␈α
a␈αclean␈αbill␈α
of␈αhealth,␈αand␈α
each␈αwill␈αgo␈αaway␈α
with
␈↓ ↓H␈↓a feeling of guilt.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        6.␈α⊂␈↓αUsing␈α⊂the␈α⊂program␈α⊂in␈α⊃a␈α⊂classroom␈α⊂violates␈α⊂the␈α⊂civil␈α⊃right␈α⊂of␈α⊂a␈α⊂student␈α⊂not␈α⊃to␈α⊂be
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αswindled␈αand␈αbrowbeaten␈αby␈αhis␈αteachers␈αand␈αuniversity␈αresearchers␈↓.␈α Considered␈αas␈αa␈αscienti≡c
␈↓ ↓H␈↓experiment␈α
involving␈α
human␈α
subjects,␈α
it␈α
violates␈α∞every␈α
pertinent␈α
code␈α
of␈α
ethics␈α
and␈α∞may␈α
violate
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Massachusetts or Federal law.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        I␈αfear␈α
that␈αsuch␈α
abuse␈αof␈α
questionnaires␈αand␈α
computers␈αhas␈α
become␈αwidespread␈α
in␈αthe␈α
social
␈↓ ↓H␈↓sciences,␈αbut␈αit␈αis␈αrarely␈αdescribed␈αas␈αclearly␈αand␈αconcisely␈αas␈αMessrs.␈αGross␈αand␈αKahn␈αhave␈αdone.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Since␈αthe␈αprogram␈αis␈αdated␈α1970,␈αone␈αcan␈αhope␈αthey␈αhave␈αrecovered␈αsome␈αobectivity,␈αhonesty␈αand
␈↓ ↓H␈↓fairness.␈α
 Still␈αit␈α
would␈αbe␈α
interesting␈αto␈α
know␈α
how␈αmany␈α
high␈αschool␈α
classes␈αwere␈α
subjected␈αto␈α
this
␈↓ ↓H␈↓computerized indoctrination.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        The␈α∞reader␈α∞may␈α∞think␈α
it␈α∞foolish␈α∞to␈α∞have␈α
put␈α∞even␈α∞this␈α∞much␈α
e≥ort␈α∞into␈α∞attacking␈α∞a␈α
high
␈↓ ↓H␈↓school␈α
students'␈α
hack.␈α
 Maybe␈α
no␈αclass␈α
was␈α
ever␈α
subjected␈α
to␈α
it,␈αand␈α
if␈α
one␈α
was,␈α
maybe␈αthe␈α
students
␈↓ ↓H␈↓were␈αnot␈αintimidated,␈αthought␈α
it␈αwas␈αsilly,␈αand␈αsaid␈α
so.␈α My␈αexcuse␈αis␈α
that␈αit␈αis␈αrare␈αand␈α
refreshing
␈↓ ↓H␈↓to␈α∞≡nd␈α
all␈α∞these␈α
common␈α∞intellectual␈α∞crimes␈α
concentrated␈α∞in␈α
two␈α∞pages␈α
and␈α∞a␈α∞computer␈α
program
␈↓ ↓H␈↓whose unambiguous behavior leaves no room for the authors to claim they were misunderstood.



␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ 	zJohn McCarthy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ λ>Computer Science Department
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ 	DStanford CA, 94305