Stephen Wolfram is undoubtedly one of the smartest and most innovative people alive, so when he goes into seclusion and comes out with a claim to have the next big thing, we should listen. Check him out in Wikipedia here
Wolfram Alpha could be as significant as Google. The story is everywhere among tech bloggers like Lindsay Lohan going into rehab is to paparazzi, so if you want to get an overview try visiting here at Information Week or this thread from the creator of Twine who spent 2 hours with Wolfram in a personal demo.
What the infamous Hal from 2001 evokes is the fear of a well-intentioned computer who havocs destruction with the goal of serving the needs of its creator. The conquest and subjugation of the Americas, Africa, and Asian colonies by Western colonialism followed similar principles i.e. we’re here to help you because you’re somehow unfit to rule yourselves; missionaries attempt to convert and destroy indigenous cultures in the name of God; and even ex-lovers stalk and chase after old flames because they want things to work out.
I’m curious to know if it’s possible to disentangle the conversation about values and benevolent intentions from the recurring pattern of having a destructive impact on the intended subject, particularly as this might relate to the future of marketing communications down the road. What type of implications will technology like Wolfram Alpha have for behavioral targeting on websites? Will new ad networks somehow “know” what products people want to buy from using semantic web technologies?
