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Computers in the Service of Society Robert Lee Chartrand, editor Based on a Seminar series Given in the Spring of 1969 Sponsored by THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY and PERGAMON PRESS, LIMITED PERGAMON PRESS INC. NEW YORK · TORONTO · OXFORD SYDNEY BRAUNSCHWEIG Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, New York 10523 Pergamon of Canada Ltd., 207 Queen's Quay West, Toronto 117, Ontario Pergamon Press Ltd., Headington Hill Hall, Oxford Pergamon Press (Aust.) Pty. Ltd., Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, N.S.W, Vieweg & Sohn GmbH, Burgplatz 1, Braunschweig Copyright © 1972 Pergamon Press Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Pergamon Press Inc. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 73-112401 Printed in Great Britain by A. Wheaton & Co., Exeter 08 016332 7 For our children Jennifer Lynn Kevin Clark Leslie Cécile James Parrish Foreword In an age when man has unlocked the secrets of nuclear fission and probed the hitherto unknown realms of space and oceanography, the limits of our credulity have been stretched to the utmost. Ranking high among the technological innovations in man's feeling of awe and curiosity is the electronic computer. Prodigious in its processing and retentive capabilities, this device increasingly manifests an ability to ape many of the thought processes of its creator. Man, in turn, is engaged in finessing his invention and striving to ensure his perpetual mastery of it. As I considered the concept put forth by Robert Chartrand for a series of papers and related dialogues which would examine the role of computers in our contemporary world, it seemed imperative that the perceptions offered should be those of responsible public and private sector leadership, augmented by industrial and academic information specialists. The focus of the sessions, co-sponsored by The American University, was upon the full array of societal problems which may be ameliorated by the application of computer technology. Each speaker was selected for his willingness and ability to make a unique contribution, and the credentials of the participating discussants were outstanding. In retrospect, the eloquence and candor of the contributors removed many of the ubiquitous barriers—pride, prejudice, and parochialism—to human communication. The recurring themes: what has been the response of thinking man to this new technology? Can the multiple roles of the computer be comprehended by the decision makers of our times ? And finally, can the vast potential—and limitations—of automatic data processing be conveyed to the public-at-large ? It is our belief that Computers in the Service of Society fulfills a long standing need for an exposition on the impact of the computer and the man-machine confrontations which have ensued. Perhaps the greatest residual contribution will be its reflections on the essence of this technological age—its irreducible elements, its foibles, and its great expectations. ROBERT MAXWELL vii Guest Speakers Colonel Andrew A. Aines Chairman, Committee on Scientific and Technical Information Federal Council for Science and Technology Washington, D.C. Dr. Joseph H. Engel Director, Planning Research and Services Communications Satellite Corporation Washington, D.C. Hawley A. Blanchard Senior Systems Analyst Stanford Research Institute Arlington, Virginia Dr. Manley R. Irwin Whittemore School of Business and Economics University of New Hampshire Durham, New Hampshire The Honorable John Brademas U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. The Honorable F. Bradford Morse U