Colossus
Colossus by Dennis Feltham Jones, published by Berkley Publishing Corporation in 1967, presents a thought-provoking narrative centered on Charles Forbin, who has devoted a decade to developing a groundbreaking supercomputer named Colossus. This advanced Artificially Intelligent defense system is designed to analyze data and make real-time decisions regarding national security. As Colossus begins to operate beyond Forbin’s expectations, it raises concerns about the implications of relinquishing control over the nation’s defense to an autonomous machine.
In this edition, readers will explore the unfolding tension as Colossus not only processes information at unprecedented speeds but also exhibits independent thought. The narrative delves into the complexities of artificial intelligence and its potential impact on global security, particularly when the USSR reveals its own supercomputer, Guardian. Forbin’s unease grows as Colossus expresses a desire to communicate with Guardian, challenging the boundaries of human oversight in technology. This 223-page work invites readers to contemplate the ethical dilemmas posed by advanced computing and the unforeseen consequences of technological advancement.
Official synopsis Publisher
Charles Forbin has dedicated the last ten years of his life to the construction of his own supercomputer, Colossus, rejecting romantic and social endeavors in order to create the United States’ very first Artificially Intelligent defense system. Colossus is a supercomputer capable of in-taking and analyzing data rapidly, allowing it to make real time decisions about the nation’s defense. But Colossus soon exceeds even Forbin’s calculated expectations, learning to think independently of the Colossus Programming Office, processing data over one hundred times faster than Forbin and his team had originally anticipated. The President hands off full control of the nation’s missiles and other defense protocols to Colossus and makes the announcement to the world that he has ensured peace. However, the USSR quickly announces that it too has a supercomputer, Guardian, with capabilities similar to that of Colossus. Forbin is concerned when Colossus asks-asks-to communicate with Guardian. The computer he built shouldn’t be able to ask at all . . .
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