The Industrialization of Intelligence

Originally published in 1989 The Industrialization of Intelligence is a spirited blend of the principles of social science and computer technology. Critically praised in the United States and England by leading lights both literary and technological, it develops an original and provocative model of the interplay between computer systems and social systems. Noah Kennedy has composed a compelling story from key episodes in the development of the computer, and coupled it with a probing analysis of the true role of automation in modem society. The result firmly plants computer technology in the soil of western culture and denies the shrill claims that the information age represents a sudden break with the historical past. He starts with biographical vignettes from the lives of five pivotal thinkers, weaving their crucial insights into the larger fabric of contemporary and future society. He then gives a provocative forecast of the role of artificial intelligence in future society, and examines the probable impact of new computer technologies on employment and on the relationships between nations. The result is a reasoned understanding of our imminent future through a thoughtful analysis of our historical past.

Noah Kennedy

Acknowledgements. Introduction: Capital Lost 1. The Machinery of Self-Love 2. Machinery and Labour 3. The Division of Mental Labour 4. The Laws of Thought 5. Origins of a System 6. Of Little Men and Monsters 7. Systems of Belief, Systems of Production 8. Technology and Employment 9. Human Capital and the Wealth of Nations. Epilogue: On Leading the Leading Edge. Notes and References. Bibliography. Index.