Commentary on the future of computing

I read this article recently that takes a very sober look at computing and its advancement wherein the author comments on fictional views of the subject. There is one key disagreement from my point of view: only select fictional views pitted runaway artificial intelligence against man: the computer getting out of hand.

Many authors have taken a very practical view like I did in Darwin's Orphans. For an even more obvious future view on computers, look at the old Star Treks -- the ones with Shatner. The computer is always there, uses voice recognition to receive commands (possible today yet far more cludgy), and manages practical details (chart a course for ...). It seems as though most writers, myself included, see the computer as a tool that will simply get more elegant, more powerful, and far more ubiquitous (available everywhere without searching for hot spots). The histrionics of computers taking over is handy stuff for story creation. I don't think that most of us really expect this to happen.

Feel free to post your opinions on the subject.