/LMAR=0/XLINE=3/FONT#0=BAXL30/FONT#1=BAXM30/FONT#2=BASB30/FONT#3=SUB/FONT#4=SUP/FONT#5=BASL35/FONT#6=NGR25/FONT#7=MATH30/FONT#8=FIX25/FONT#9=GRKB30
␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ u1


␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ β↑␈↓αSOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY␈↓

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ εtby

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ ¬sJOHN MCCARTHY
␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ εβStanford University



␈↓ α∧␈↓Abstract:␈α∂Home␈α∂computers␈α∂and␈α∂home␈α∂terminals␈α∂with␈α∂access␈α∂to␈α∂public␈α∂computers,␈α∂programs␈α∂and
␈↓ α∧␈↓data␈αbases␈αwill␈αprovide␈α
the␈αpublic␈αnew␈αopportunities␈α
for␈αre-organizing␈αtheir␈αlife␈αstyles␈α
comparable
␈↓ α∧␈↓to␈α∩those␈α∩provided␈α∩by␈α∩the␈α∩automobile,␈α∩telephone␈α∩and␈α∩electricity␈α∩around␈α∩the␈α∩beginning␈α∩of␈α∩the
␈↓ α∧␈↓century.␈α The␈α
marketing␈αof␈α
novel␈αequipment␈α
and␈αservices␈α
will␈αprovide␈αcomparable␈α
entrepreneurial
␈↓ α∧␈↓opportunities.␈α∞ Many␈α∞industries␈α∞will␈α∞have␈α∞to␈α∞adapt␈α∞to␈α∞a␈α∞shift␈α∞of␈α∞demand␈α∞from␈α∞present␈α∞forms␈α
of
␈↓ α∧␈↓books␈α∞magazines,␈α∞newspapers␈α∞and␈α∞forms␈α∞of␈α∂commerce␈α∞to␈α∞new␈α∞forms.␈α∞ New␈α∞styles␈α∞of␈α∂politics␈α∞will
␈↓ α∧␈↓also␈αhave␈αto␈αarise.␈α The␈αtechnology␈αfor␈αthese␈αchanges␈αalready␈αexists;␈αonly␈αthe␈αbusiness␈αinnovations
␈↓ α∧␈↓required are proceeding slowly.

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αTA␈α
key␈α
fact␈α
is␈α
that␈α
documents␈α
can␈α
be␈αstored␈α
indefinitely␈α
in␈α
computer␈α
files␈α
for␈α
less␈α
than␈αthe
␈↓ α∧␈↓cost␈α
of␈α
keeping␈α
them␈α∞on␈α
library␈α
shelves␈α
and␈α
can␈α∞be␈α
accessible␈α
in␈α
milliseconds␈α
from␈α∞anywhere␈α
in
␈↓ α∧␈↓the␈α∞world␈α∞for␈α∂quite␈α∞reasonable␈α∞communication␈α∂costs.␈α∞ Not␈α∞only␈α∞will␈α∂the␈α∞Library␈α∞of␈α∂Congress␈α∞be
␈↓ α∧␈↓available␈α⊗in␈α⊗everyone's␈α⊗home,␈α∃but␈α⊗any␈α⊗document␈α⊗anyone␈α∃chooses␈α⊗to␈α⊗make␈α⊗public␈α⊗will␈α∃be
␈↓ α∧␈↓immediately␈α
and␈α
permanently␈α
available.␈α
 This␈α
will␈α
make␈α
writing␈α
independent␈α
of␈α
media;␈α
a␈α
writer␈α
or
␈↓ α∧␈↓journalist␈α∞can␈α∞have␈α∞a␈α∞public␈α∞without␈α∂a␈α∞book␈α∞publisher␈α∞or␈α∞newspaper.␈α∞ Even␈α∞more␈α∂important,␈α∞a
␈↓ α∧␈↓reader␈α∂of␈α∞something␈α∂controversial␈α∂can␈α∞immediately␈α∂find␈α∞out␈α∂if␈α∂there␈α∞has␈α∂been␈α∞a␈α∂reply,␈α∂and␈α∞the
␈↓ α∧␈↓original␈α⊂writer␈α∂will␈α⊂have␈α∂to␈α⊂take␈α∂this␈α⊂fact␈α⊂into␈α∂account.␈α⊂ This␈α∂should␈α⊂raise␈α∂the␈α⊂level␈α⊂of␈α∂public
␈↓ α∧␈↓controversy on all issues and candidates.

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αTConsumers␈αwill␈α
have␈αaccess␈α
to␈αvastly␈α
more␈αinformation␈α
about␈αproducts␈α
and␈αservices␈αand␈α
can
␈↓ α∧␈↓use␈αprograms␈αto␈αhelp␈αthem␈αget␈αthe␈αbest␈αdeal.␈α Shopping␈αfrom␈αa␈αterminal␈αwill␈αgreatly␈αextend␈αwhat
␈↓ α∧␈↓is␈α⊂now␈α⊂done␈α⊂by␈α∂mail-order␈α⊂shopping␈α⊂and␈α⊂will␈α⊂make␈α∂small␈α⊂markets␈α⊂much␈α⊂more␈α⊂viable.␈α∂ Much
␈↓ α∧␈↓business␈α∩and␈α⊃government␈α∩office␈α⊃work␈α∩will␈α⊃become␈α∩irrelevant␈α⊃when␈α∩there␈α⊃is␈α∩direct␈α⊃interaction
␈↓ α∧␈↓between␈αindividuals␈α
and␈αthe␈α
computer␈αprograms␈α
belonging␈αto␈α
institutions␈αand␈α
between␈αprograms
␈↓ α∧␈↓belonging to different institutions.

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αTOnce␈αthese␈αbasic␈αfacilities␈αexist,␈αthe␈αdevelopment␈αof␈αartificial␈αintelligence␈αand␈αits␈α
application
␈↓ α∧␈↓to helping people select and obtain desired information will be stimulated.

␈↓ α∧␈↓␈↓ αTWe␈αcan␈αeven␈αhope␈αthat␈αmuch␈αof␈αtoday's␈αnegativism␈αtoward␈αnew␈αtechnology␈αwill␈αbe␈αreplaced
␈↓ α∧␈↓by␈α∩a␈α∩healthier␈α∪experimental␈α∩attitude.␈α∩ Let␈α∩it␈α∪be␈α∩tried.␈α∩ If␈α∩it␈α∪works␈α∩badly␈α∩we␈α∩can␈α∪always␈α∩do
␈↓ α∧␈↓something else.