AllMovie

Computers have only been abundant for a few decades, but getting along without them in work and in life seems practically impossible. Computer systems are inextricable components of most modern institutions and corporations. The computer's capacity to process data and complete calculations, thousands of times faster than human brains can manage, often leads to great convenience and startling innovations -- yet tiny errors sometimes have far-reaching, confusing, and distressing consequences. This program examines the widespread use of computers for collecting, storing, distributing, and manipulating data for sophisticated analysis within various areas of business, technology, military applications, and research. The program also explores some future possibilities of cooperative work between humans and computers. The video looks at DARPA, the Development of Advanced Research Planning Agency, which has done extensive work in developing artificial intelligence software and expert systems for machine vision, computer vision, speech comprehension, and natural language comprehension. This is the fifth volume of the six-part Computer Revolution video series, which explores the origins and development of computers, discusses important innovations (up to 1990, when the documentary was made), and considers the computer's place in society. Other programs in the series include Birth of the Computer, Growing Power, Shrinking Size, High Speed/High Performance, Data as Power, and Artificial Intelligence, Real Problems.