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Show Page C8 Thursday, October 29, THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, 1992 Future computers willl understand, anticipate owners Artificial intelligence machines ma help us screen our mail and telephone calls, and even answer some of it; monitor newspapers and magazines and provide a digest of material that fits our interests; and handle our appointments with the skill of a good secretary. Perhaps they w ill read our hand-riling and recognize our voices. And within a decade or two, some computer scientists say, we may be conversing offhandedly with machines that speak, see and understand human ways as well as HAL in the science-fiction"2001" or the computer that con By DAVID L. CHANDLER Boston Globe Think of it as an invisible butler, or an army of quiei servants wait- ing to put your house in order. Within the next five years, we may find ourselves surrounded by "thinking" devices like those that visionaries long predicted would someday be at our beck and call. trols the Starship Enterprise in 'Star Trek." 4 The possibilities were loreseeh decades ago by a few visionary scientists and science-fictio- n writmuch of ers, but the technology it bred in the Boston area is just now catching up to the vision. Over the next few years, specialists say, we increasingly will be interacting with computers that will learn to understand and respond to the particular needs of the person with whom they are deal- w Rather than the superintendent humanoids of science fiction, though, they would fit seamlessly into our world, making life easier in all kinds of mostly invisible ways. ing. For much of the research, the goal is to realize a dream articulat al 1 f r1 Save 3 Ways During Granite's Bassett Days! m nu y ta Sf m 3 ed 20 years ago by Nicholas director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: "I think of a personalized computer as something like a longstanding someone intiEnglish butler mately aware of your idiosyncrasies, your habits, your friends, your goals and who you deal Helping users deal with particular computer tasks by understanding their level of expertise and providing just the necessary degree of help and guidance. They could even learn the user's particular foibles what words he or she typiand cally mistypes, for example provide a little extra help. Interpreting ambiguous information typed into computer software such as a spreadsheet and inferring what was really meant. If you typed "31" in a box designated "annual salary," for example, the machine might understand that you must have meant "$31,000," te, well-traine- d, with." The first commercial software designed with that philosophy in mind may, within the next few years, be performing such sophisticated and highly personalized tasks as: r- - r L rJ - and make the change. Limited versions of such specialized programs exist, and dozens should be commercially available within two to five years. That is just the beginning. Some predict that within a decade or two the ultimate goal of artificial intelligence will have been achieved: a machine capable of carrying on a dialogue so "human" that people will be unable to tell they are conversing with a machine. Some even wonder whether, when such a machine comes along, it should be accorded the full status of an intelligent being. J INSTANT FINANCING AVAILABLE! 1 f ' . .J l'.-'W.- L Vr J L V ' ri Mi I mmm i Bassett, one of the nation's finest makers of quality home furnishings, has given us special sale prices on their complete fine of bedroom, Dining room ana living room lumnure. r 5 ,i t. 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Cim CHEST Classic cedar chest features simple, combined with 50 PACK SONY 5.25" DISKETTES LANE WESTMINSTER CEDAR CHEST Padded V pine solids, veneers and5.pQg 557 hardwoods table selected (with leaf) 1 sf I Pine finish on BASSETT PROVINCIAL KITCHEN irirf I " WATTS OPTION T SAVE $160! nts i QUASAR MICROWAVE SPEED DEFROST BY WT. r:-acce- Tube QUASAR VCR WITH REMOTE CONTRO- L- VK220 pine finish, hand v BchlM enrft J RC1 top and pierced brass hardware create charming to this warm oak Picture r if painted heart stencil. Comes with lock 4 key ed Cable Ready Auto Programming COTY BOUNTIFUL Country look it white CRIB-Craft- M0DaX201S4GS JU Utah's Largest Selection IP 2Q"RGAC0L0RTV ' )ti ) with your baby's comfort and safety In mind. Side rail adjusts for easy access to your baby. HOBHBillHiHiiHKilllllllHHMHMI , J ir & 4-- yr MAPLE You f 1 !;) i Chest heavy brass finished hardware. Dresser, Hutch DUAL RECLINING x M bedroom has deep, rich carved look accented by ; I rr OAK FINISHED TRADITIONAL SWIVEL ROCKER Top quality coil seat. SAVE COUNTRY BEDROOM charming wood applique and the CUNER from Berkline gives you has lustrous cherry grain finish. French cabriole leg, FRENCH Your Comploto Homo FumkMngp Gupordi&roo 1080 North Main 544-688- 6 PROVO 1 134 North 5lh West 373-353- 0 LAYTON 4S4-333- 44 r a, f Assorted Brass as low as |