About Robert Noyce
In a rare interview, Robert Noyce, vice chairman of Intel and a pioneer of the integrated circuit, discussed the impact of inexpensive computing power. He argued that concerns about technology making people "morons" were similar to fears that the steam engine would turn people into "jellyfish," and stated that such tools have enhanced lives. Noyce predicted that future communications and computer power would allow people to work remotely, enabling them to "live where it is conducive to live, not where it is conducive to work," as most work involves knowledge rather than physical materials.
In a 1984 lecture marking the 25th anniversary of the integrated circuit, Noyce reviewed the technology's development from the 1950s. He noted that early challenges included low transistor yields and market opposition from engineers who feared losing their jobs. Noyce described the trend of increasing complexity, referencing "Moore's curve," and projected that within a decade it would be possible to place between 100 million and a billion transistors on a single chip, adding that "the sky is still the limit" for what can be imagined for the technology.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Robert Noyce's recent appearances.
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Transcript (2 segments)
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Interviewer0:12
Whether it's energy or computers or telecommunications, today's technological innovations will certainly shape tomorrow's world. To get a sneak preview of things to come, we spoke with a pioneer of the electronics industry, Dr. Robert Noyce, vice chairman of Intel Corporation, a billion-dollar firm that develops and manufactures semiconductors, computer devices, and systems. After receiving his doctorate from MIT, Noyce played a pivotal role in developing the modern transistor, the integrated circuit, the solid-state memory, and the microprocessor, all of which have revolutionized modern technology. We asked him to share his views on how technology will affect the way we work in the future.
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Robert Noyce0:55
I think the most important thing about what has happened in the integrated circuit business, the computer business, is that it has made computing power very, very inexpensive. Each of us has his own calculator now. There's been a lot of concern that this might turn us all into morons. It might be the same thing as suggesting, however, that the steam engine would turn us all into jellyfish. Indeed, the availability of this kind of equipment has enhanced our lives, not detracted from it. As we look on into the future, we're going to find that we can, in effect, put ourselves wherever we want to be without moving. We can create the environment that we want around us. For instance, if I look out on the road, we find most of the cars that are driving by are not carrying goods; they're carrying brains, trying to take the brain to the place where the work is to be done. With modern communications and the extension of what we can see in communications and in computer power, in getting information transferred back and forth, there is no reason why you could not carry on this interview at home, at your office, with me at my office, etc. And I think that as we look farther into the future, we're going to find that people will live where it is conducive to live, not where it is conducive to work. The movement of the work to the individual will be much easier because, as I say, most of our people are doing knowledge work, not work with physical materials. So at least that half of today's population could work wherever they pleased without any limitation that they have to go into a particular point to do their work, as long as the communications and the information is available to them wherever they happen to be. Wouldn't you rather work in Hawaii?
