Bill Gates’ 1984 Interview Reveals Early Vision for AI and PCs in Every Home

In 1984, Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, sat down for an interview with the hosts of "The Famous Computer Cafe," a tech-centric radio show that aired in the mid-1980s. The interview, which has recently been unearthed, provides a fascinating glimpse into Gates’ vision for the future of personal computers and artificial intelligence.

At the time, Gates was just 29 years old and Microsoft was still a relatively small company with less than 900 employees. However, he was already thinking big, envisioning a future where PCs would be a ubiquitous presence in every home.

"I’m a believer that eventually we’ll have a machine on every desktop and a machine in every home," Gates said in the interview.

To achieve this goal, Gates believed that computers would need to become easier and more fun to use. He highlighted the importance of graphics, saying that computers should be able to display pictures, "good-looking text," and "real-life documents."

But Gates’ vision for the future of computing also extended to artificial intelligence. He talked about the idea of getting computers to "learn" and recognize mistakes, similar to how a human coworker might.

"Another thing that we’re trying to get the computer to do is learn," Gates said. "That is, after you’ve used it for a while, then you’ll be able to refer back to something you’ve done previously so you don’t have to repeat those commands."

Gates also referred to this concept as "softer software," which he described as a "very tough piece of research" to get computers to that level.

The interviewer asked if the idea was similar to artificial intelligence, and Gates responded, "Yes, it is. But that term is kind of loaded right now. When people hear artificial intelligence, they think of robots and things that are, you know, going to take over the world and that type of stuff. Softer software refers to the simple steps we can take to make the machine learn and recognize what it is you’re trying to do."

Forty years on, Microsoft is now looking to integrate AI into its suite of software products, while Gates has predicted that the technology will bring a new world order where "AI agents" or digital personal assistants will change how people interact with computers and "upend the software industry."

"In the extreme case," Gates said in the 1984 interview, "once software gets 100% soft, then we will have achieved human level of intelligence. That’s a long ways away."

The interview provides a fascinating glimpse into Gates’ early vision for the future of computing and AI, and serves as a reminder of the power of innovation and the importance of looking to the future.