Editorial
Reprinted from Challenge, a publication of the Institute of Economic Affairs, New York University.
In the welter of advertisements by electronic-industry giants claiming near-miraculous properties for their "thinking" and data-processing machines, it is heartening to find a voice that urges caution and a conversative approach to the "computer age." Such a voice belongs to Prof. Richard Courant, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, New York University.
In a recent interview, Prof. Courant made some strong statements about the use of computers in everyday life that we think deserve a few moments of your time and thought. With appreciation, therefore, to Challenge, for permission to reprint, we present excerpts from its tape-recorded interview with Dr. Courant:
Q. Prof. Courant, this ties in ivith the idea of the usefulness of mathematics. In fact, this has become a key theme in recent years, not only with reference to missiles, rockets, etc., but also in terms of how mathematics can help the executive in business. Whole series of new techniques have been devised to help the executive come to more accurate and precise decisions. How do you evaluate some of these techniques and the machines which implement them?
A. I want to say first of all that I am often skeptical in the face of big claims. I have great misgivings about some of the claims made or implied for such "decision-making" machines or mathematical procedures. My personal experience with successful businessmen in various fields has been that their correct judgment is due to a mixture of rational analysis of facts and a kind of intuition that is not visibly connected with rational procedures.
