show index hide index
- imposed by the power of processors, such as the Pentium II, would have transported the user to a bygone era. Each question asked would have required a few moments of meditation, with the answers revealing themselves word by word, like jokers in a show. Seeing an answer appear in small pieces, like an image downloaded with a 56k modem, would have been a veritable emotional rollercoaster. Everyday tasks would have become technological challenges. The AI assistant would have been able to meet contemporary needs by providing assistance in writing book reports or compiling a database of well-known video game cheat codes. Perhaps it would even have taken the opportunity to perform Spice Girls songs—a true gem of ’90s pop! Back to the 1980s: The Floppy Disk and the Commodore 64
- Imagine typing a question on an old-fashioned typewriter keyboard, the answer slowly escaping from a roaring motor. With punched cards and reels filling the sound space, this industrial feel would provide answers limited to 150 words, taking up to three hours to print on paper tape. Could such a wait be realistic in the age of instant connectivity? In all honesty, who among us would still be patient with such energy consumption for such a modest answer?
Imagine a world where artificial intelligence emerged long before the digital age we know today. What would have happened if programs like ChatGPT had emerged in the 1990s? Let’s dive into this fascinating exploration of an alternate world, where 1990s technologies, such as the CD-ROM and the Pentium II, blend with as yet unimaginable AI capabilities. A period marked by specific expectations and needs, offering a nostalgic vision of human-machine interactions at a time when everything seemed possible, but technical reality held back ambitions. Exploring an Alternate World: What would life be like in the 1990s with artificial intelligence? Imagine a world where artificial intelligence had emerged in the 1990s, with its soft drinks in cans and computers at its disposal. This journey into the past, through the eyes of a program likeChatGPT , reveals an intriguing technological reality. Slow but incredibly fascinating systems could have transformed our daily lives, from the use of CD-ROMs to the enigmatic Commodore 64. Let yourself be carried away by this uchronic exploration with a nostalgic flavor. A Journey to the 90s: The Era of the CD-ROM and the Pentium IIIf AI had come to life in the 90s , it would have presented itself as a program straight out of a DOS-style command window. Imagine that dazzling blue screen, with pixelated white text slowly appearing as you waited impatiently for the one or two minute loading time from a CD-ROM. The magic of the technology of the time was both intoxicating and frustrating. The feeling ofpatience
imposed by the power of processors, such as the Pentium II, would have transported the user to a bygone era. Each question asked would have required a few moments of meditation, with the answers revealing themselves word by word, like jokers in a show. Seeing an answer appear in small pieces, like an image downloaded with a 56k modem, would have been a veritable emotional rollercoaster. Everyday tasks would have become technological challenges. The AI assistant would have been able to meet contemporary needs by providing assistance in writing book reports or compiling a database of well-known video game cheat codes. Perhaps it would even have taken the opportunity to perform Spice Girls songs—a true gem of ’90s pop! Back to the 1980s: The Floppy Disk and the Commodore 64
Further exploring, we see AI adapting as software for early personal computers, such as the famous Commodore 64. Distributed on floppy disk, this program would have been launched via obscure command lines, the interface reducing any hopes of engaging visual interaction. With a black background and white text devoid of graphical artifice, the experience would have been frustrating. Searching for a simple piece of information like the name of the President of the United States would have tested the user’s patience, receiving an answer only after a painful and interminable wait.Retrofuturistic Invention: AI in the Roaring Twenties Finally, the experience reaches its climax when the journalist asks ChatGPT to reinvent itself in the 1920s. What emerges is the imagination of a machine worthy of a Jules Verne novel.: a « mechanical teleprinter » connected to a colossal « vacuum tube computing engine. » Such a device, while fascinating, would give any modern user pause.
Imagine typing a question on an old-fashioned typewriter keyboard, the answer slowly escaping from a roaring motor. With punched cards and reels filling the sound space, this industrial feel would provide answers limited to 150 words, taking up to three hours to print on paper tape. Could such a wait be realistic in the age of instant connectivity? In all honesty, who among us would still be patient with such energy consumption for such a modest answer?
For reflections on the impact of AI on our world today, explore fascinating articles like AI-powered prosperity in the Caribbeanor The Prime Minister designed by artificial intelligence.
To read LinkedIn : le grand ménage débute, place aux posts authentiques sans IA
