March 8, 2008

Joseph Weizenbaum, 85

by Nick Montfort · , 12:56 pm

Creator of ELIZA/Doctor, awarded the Norbert Wiener Award by Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, author of Computer Power and Human Reason.

5 Responses to “Joseph Weizenbaum, 85”


  1. andrew Says:
    March 8th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

    This is sad news.

    I’m glad a documentary about his life, including interviews with Weizenbaum, was completed recently.

  2. S. Yamane Says:
    March 9th, 2008 at 12:30 am

    I think Weizenbaum might not be a co-founder of CPSR but CPSR awarded him later.
    Award speech by Terry Winograd, CPSR initial member, is here.
    http://www.cpsr.org/prevsite/cpsr/weiz.html
    Timelie and past bord members are also available from CPSR:
    http://www.cpsr.org/about/history

  3. nick Says:
    March 9th, 2008 at 9:33 am

    Thanks for the clarification about that. I wrote that he was co-founder based on the EE Times obituary, which seems to have been in error.

  4. Chris Lewis Says:
    March 11th, 2008 at 5:11 pm

    > Hello, I am Eliza.
    * I am sad
    > How long have you been sad?
    * Since Joseph Weizenbaum died
    > I’m not sure I understand you fully.
    * Your creator died, and now there is just you
    > Oh… ?
    * but it shows that you can live on in your creations
    > We were discussing you, not me.

    ===

    Good old ELIZA.

  5. andrew Says:
    March 15th, 2008 at 11:19 pm

    Here is Weizenbaum’s obituary in the NYTimes.

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