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␈↓ 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salability␈αof␈αnovel␈αequipment␈αand␈αservices␈αwill␈αprovide␈αcomparable␈αentrepreneurial
␈↓ 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␈αcan␈α
have␈αa␈α
public␈αwithout␈α
a␈αbook␈α
publisher␈αor␈α
newspaper.␈α More␈α
important␈αa␈αreader␈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␈αoriginal␈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␈α
on␈αall
␈↓ α∧␈↓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∧␈↓␈↓ αTMuch␈αof␈α
today's␈αnegativism␈α
toward␈αnew␈α
technology␈αwill␈α
probably␈αbe␈α
replaced␈αby␈αa␈α
healthier
␈↓ α∧␈↓experimental attitude.  Let it be tried.  If it works badly we can always do something else.