Mit:

Patrick McCray
Department of History, University of California, Santa Barbara 

“Power, Corruption, and Lies: Joe Weizenbaum and the Myth of ‘Thinking Machines’”

The publication in 1976 of Joseph Weizenbaum’s book Computer Power and Human Reason marked a high-water mark in early critiques of artificial intelligence and the computer scientists promoting it. At the same time, his book appeared in the midst of considerable pessimism about the supposed inescapable power of large technological systems. Patrick McCray's talk will explore the background of these critiques as well as the history of Weizenbaum’s influential book (which has its 50^th anniversary this year). Along the way, he will consider Weizenbaum’s influence on expert and public debates about what computers (and computer scientists) should and shouldn’t do, critiques which are even more salient today.

Moderation: Magnus Rust, Universität Basel

Gäste sind herzlich willkommen. Im Anschluss findet ein Apéro statt.