SPEAKER: EDWARD FEIGENBAUM

Kumagai Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University


The Future of Information Technology

ABSTRACT:
I had the privilege of serving the US Air Force as its Chief Scientist from 1994 to 1997. Why did the Air Force ask a computer scientist to do this job? Of all of the technologies of relevance to the Air Force, IT was seen as the most critical at this time.

In 1995, as part of a larger study of "technology futures" for the Air Force, I chaired a study on the future of IT. There was also a study of the applications of IT to the Air Force. This talk gives highlights, anecdotes, and lessons learned from those studies.

SPEAKER BIO:
Dr. Feigenbaum is the Kumagai Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University. He does directs research projects on large knowledge base technology, information security, and the software industry.

He did his Ph.D. at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now CMU) with Herbert Simon in 1956-59. His early work concerned computer simulation models in information processing psychology. Later he pioneered the development of expert systems, with colleagues Joshua Lederberg and Bruce Buchanan. In the 1980s, he participated in the start up of several companies that commercialized expert systems technology.

In the 1980s he co-edited the four volume Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, and coauthored two "popular" books about AI and expert sytems: The Fifth Generation; and The Rise of the Expert Company.

In 1986, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

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