— Ch. 1 · The Fifth Generation Challenge —
Strategic Computing Initiative.
~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
In 1983, the United States government launched a massive research effort called the Strategic Computing Initiative. This program aimed to fund advanced computer hardware and artificial intelligence for ten years. The Department of Defense spent one billion dollars on this project. The inspiration came from Japan's Fifth Generation Computer Project. That Japanese initiative set aside billions for computing and AI research. American officials viewed it as a threat to their technological dominance. They compared the situation to the Sputnik crisis in 1957. The British government also started a similar program known as Alvey. A consortium of U.S. companies funded another project called the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation. These global efforts created a sense of urgency within Washington.
Leadership And Funding Flows
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funded the Strategic Computing Initiative. The Information Processing Technology Office directed the work. By 1985, the agency had already spent one hundred million dollars. Ninety-two projects were underway at sixty institutions. Half of these projects existed within industry. The other half operated inside universities and government labs. Robert Kahn directed IPTO during those early years. He provided the initial leadership and inspiration for the entire campaign. Clint Kelly managed the Strategic Computing Initiative for three years. He developed specific application programs for DARPA. One major example was the Autonomous Land Vehicle. The project functioned as an integrated system like the Apollo moon program. Different subsystems were created by various companies and academic groups. Eventually, all parts would come together into a single unified system.Hardware And Software Goals