(via AT&T)
It is easy to forget that there was a time when data communication was vastly an unknown and abstract topic. A relic of the start of this digital era was found in the AT&T archives. It was recently released so that those who were not around to experience the paradigm shift, could at least marvel at the primitive history that was robotics in the 1960’s.
Jim Henson, a movie director who eventually would work on Sesame Street and the Muppets, created a short film of a little industrial robot to reify the concept of data transfers and communication to business people attending Bell System’s, Bell Business Communication Seminar.
Ted Mills of AT&T, at the time, sent Henson a memo describing the concept he wanted for the film. It read, "He [the robot] is sure that All Men Basically Want to Play Golf, and not run businesses — if he can do it better." Henson went a little deeper.
In the short film, titled "Robot," Henson communicates the immense potential of computerized systems in a slightly dark comedic tone surely to intrigue any one attending the seminar. The robot explains its affinity for “digesting vast oceans of information” as well as its contempt for emotional humans, which, in its view, serve little purpose for the new robotic race.
Apart from its technological hubris, the robot explains that his potential is shortened by man’s incompetent imperfect design. I wonder if the message resonated among ambitious business folk, of the day. It was only the beginning of our industrial exploit of a digital age. Luckily, it did not turn out to be a robot controlled dystopian future.
Element14 User Jim Hayden suggested another Jim Henson - AT&T gem. I find it interesting that the AT&T hierarchy of the time felt that puppets were the only way to get CEO accustomed to computerized technology. I suppose it worked. See below:
Cabe
