1979 Fantasy. A Boy & His AI "Instructor"

In 1979 I worked on this incredible production. The film was made to premier at a global trade fair that taking place in Tokyo, Japan. I thought it quite brilliant at the time and actually, still do.

In the late 1970s artificial intelligence (AI) was still in its early stages, with researchers focusing on rule-based systems, symbolic reasoning, and basic problem-solving programs. Experts saw AI as a way to emulate aspects of human reasoning, decision-making, and language comprehension.

AI was largely focused on symbolic AI, where researchers believed computers could perform tasks by processing symbols that represent concepts and relationships, much like humans use language and logic.

Early AI systems aimed to solve specific problems, like playing chess or diagnosing medical conditions. Many thought AI would quickly become adept at specialized tasks, with potential for more advanced reasoning down the line.

While many researchers were optimistic, there was a prevalent understanding that general, human-level AI was a distant goal. Predictions about achieving general AI ranged widely, with some thinking it could happen within a few decades, while others, more skeptical, predicted it could take a century or more.

Experts expected AI to automate routine tasks, particularly in manufacturing, finance, and medicine. The hope was for AI to enhance productivity by reducing human labor in repetitive tasks.

AI was seen as a promising tool for education, where it might personalize learning. Predictions suggested that AI could adapt educational content to individual students’ learning paces and styles, offering a more tailored and efficient education. Intelligent tutoring systems were anticipated, providing guidance, assessing comprehension, and generating adaptive exercises.

There was optimism about collaborative AI systems that could support professionals by acting as assistants rather than replacements, offering advice, feedback, or support in complex decision-making.

Experts predicted AI would create educational environments where each student could follow a personalized path through course materials, adjusted in real-time based on their performance. This idea of "individualized education" was attractive, especially in subjects like math and language.

AI was expected to handle grading and provide instant feedback on assignments, relieving teachers of routine tasks and offering immediate guidance to students.

Simulated Learning Environments: There were visions of AI creating virtual worlds where students could engage in simulated learning experiences—especially for training in complex or dangerous skills, such as piloting or laboratory work.

While AI obviously did make strides in areas like automated grading, adaptive learning, and virtual tutoring, the expectations set in 1979 for human-like reasoning or generalized intelligence proved to be overly ambitious for the following decades.