From reel to real: Capegemini CEO Paul Hermelin takes cues from human imagination for emerging technologies
Supercomputer HAL-9000 sparked a debate on threats posed by machines.
By ET Bureau | Updated:
Agencies
By Rohan Abraham
From fingerprint to iris scanners, what used to be a staple in Hollywood fantasies is no longer restricted to the silver screen or books alone. Paul Hermelin, CEO of Capgemini, holds that scientists working on emerging technologies take their cues from literature founded on the human imagination.
“Innovators are influenced by futuristic technologies depicted in art. What was conceived as fiction half a century ago is now accepted as part of daily life,” he said, citing the example of 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke which was adapted for the screen by Stanley Kubrick.
The movie’s antagonist, the supercomputer HAL-9000, sparked a debate on the threat posed by machines capable of cognition and according to Hermelin, remains a touchstone for the genre. Hermelin believes that the movie set the template for research in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. “The beauty of software engineering and AI has come a long way from Stanley Kubrick’s futuristic depiction of HAL. Microsoft, Google and Amazon are establishing Kubrick’s legacy as a prescient auteur,” he said.
From fingerprint to iris scanners, what used to be a staple in Hollywood fantasies is no longer restricted to the silver screen or books alone. Paul Hermelin, CEO of Capgemini, holds that scientists working on emerging technologies take their cues from literature founded on the human imagination.
“Innovators are influenced by futuristic technologies depicted in art. What was conceived as fiction half a century ago is now accepted as part of daily life,” he said, citing the example of 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke which was adapted for the screen by Stanley Kubrick.
The movie’s antagonist, the supercomputer HAL-9000, sparked a debate on the threat posed by machines capable of cognition and according to Hermelin, remains a touchstone for the genre. Hermelin believes that the movie set the template for research in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. “The beauty of software engineering and AI has come a long way from Stanley Kubrick’s futuristic depiction of HAL. Microsoft, Google and Amazon are establishing Kubrick’s legacy as a prescient auteur,” he said.
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