University of Virginia Library

Student Computer Association
Discusses Artificial Intelligence

Interested students heard a panel
discussion on the topic on "Computers in
the Future" at the first regular meeting of
the newly formed chapter of the
Association for Computing Machinery
before Thanksgiving.

Concerning itself primarily with the
problem of defining the notion of
artificial intelligence, the panel discussion
also dealt with the roll of the computer
for the rest of the century.

Panel members consisted of professors Alan
Batson, Bruce Chartres and John Pfaltz of the
Department of Applied Mathematics's and
Computer Science, and professor Louis Rader,
Chairman of the Department of Electrical
Engineering. Other panelists included professor
Milton Jacobson, Director of the Bureau of
Educational Research; professor Coleman
Charlee of the Department of Religion; and
Sidney Weinstein, Assistant Commission of the
Processing for the General Services
Administration, currently at the Federal
Executive Institute.

According to Tom Wood, the panelists were
in general agreement that there would be wide
spread automation in industry and business and
that the majority of people would be faced
with the problem of what to do with their
leisure time.

There was, however, little agreement on the
feasibility and desirability of direct
augmentation of the human mind by electrical
or chemical connections between computers
and the brain.

Also discussed were the more immediate
questions of hardware design for the next
generation of computers and the preparation of
the controversial nation-wide "data banks."

A membership drive is currently underway
for the Virginia Chapter of the ACM. It is
anticipated that there will be from six to 12
meetings annually with membership open to all
interested students, dues are $2 a year, and
anyone interested should contact Craig Decher
at 293-3625.