Fictional Computers: EMERAC was the Chatbot of 1957
1 min read
Summary
The 1957 movie ‘Desk Set’ is a classic romantic comedy starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, but you can also learn a lot about society’s views on computers during that time by watching it, claims YouTuber ErnieTech.
The plot involves a team at a broadcasting company automating its library and research work with a computer (run with the help of light bulbs), called Emmie, which is an acronym for EMERAC.
ErnieTech highlights how the move echoes themes of concern that computers will take human jobs, and how, like in the film, current similar worries regarding AI are not without merit.
The host also references other fictional computers in films, such as Colossus and, more recently, The Three Body Problem.
