Where did computers come from and where can such artificial intelligence take us? Over the course of three lectures Dr. Ismail Serageldin covers the past, present and future of what is becoming the world’s most dominant preoccupation, and he does so through an analysis of the thoughts of eminent scientists, engineers, philosophers and visionaries of the past and the present. He poses and attempts to answer profound questions that are troubling some of those who are concerned about unleashing unbelievable technologies on the world, and contrasts that with the enthusiasm of those who are embracing a future where machines will merge with, if not replace, humans in most of what we do every day.