Talking computers to take over libraries, says professor
An Oxford professor has said that in the future students will prefer to access information for academic work from "talking computers" rather than the traditional fuddy-duddy method of looking for books in the library.
According to THES, Baroness Greenfield told a conference for college heads that the conventional means of accessing information were becoming "obsolete and irrelevant". "Already students are downloading information to cut and paste into essays. Perhaps we should take that as a sign that we are approaching the end of an era," she said.
Well quite. Instead of copying passages out of books their tutors have read, naughty students are now copying passages from websites; instead of scribbled notices for essay-writing services in the corner of the bar, unethical students can now buy pre-packaged essays online. That's progress for you.
Where exactly talking computers fit into all of this is unclear. Aside from actually writing the essays for students ("Computer, write me an essay on particle physics"/"Error: I do not understand 'computer'"), they could act as a kind of mouthy Google, reading out the titles and locations of books based on keywords. Pity the poor medical student looking for information on STDs. In any case, scanning a list is much quicker.
Perhaps in the future students will be able to secretly record information read out to them by machines in a monotone in dusty rooms for later regurgitation on to paper. The machines could be called 'lecturers' and the rooms 'lecture theatres'.
Or maybe the Baroness's vision is even more advanced: there would be no paper, of course; books would be sound recordings delivered in a monotone by an even more advanced computer/lecturer; and instead of printing essays on to paper they would all be delivered in audio. Students could use their shiny new SuperMini iPod MegaShuffles (limited edition U2 model) to record entire book chapters into their essays. Some would doubtless work out a way of automating the process – enter the reading (listening?) list, press a button and the essay is recorded for you. No need for human intervention, and since by then essays would be computer marked they would probably get away with it.
Unfortunately there are two major drawbacks to the Baroness's Big Idea. Firstly, the all-pervading talking computers would have to be located in the buildings currently known as libraries, alongside a similarly-named species which receives pleasure from saying 'shh' at the slightest rustle of paper or stifled cough. Having a stand-up argument with a machine sounding like Steven Hawking would undoubtedly provoke their ire, especially if headphones were provided and they could only hear one side of the conversation.
Secondly, it's a daft idea. Talking computers are fine for occasions when you need your car to do a 'turbo boost' over a burning petrol tanker or the doors on your spaceship to open with a pleasant whooshing noise, but for writing an essay? After saying 'delete' for the 120th time you might find it's easier to press a button.
There is, however, a use for the machines Baroness Greenfield imagines. Fitted with noise detectors they could easily take some of the workload off librarians.
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