John McCarthy Quotes

A collection of quotes by John McCarthy.

John McCarthy (1927-2011) was an American computer scientist and cognitive scientist who is widely regarded as the founder of the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Born on September 4, 1927, in Boston, Massachusetts, McCarthy demonstrated a strong aptitude for mathematics from an early age. He attended Caltech (California Institute of Technology), where he obtained a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1948, followed by a Ph.D. in the same subject from Princeton University in 1951.

McCarthy's groundbreaking work in AI began in the 1950s. In 1956, he coined the term "artificial intelligence," organizing the historic Dartmouth Conference, which is considered the birthplace of AI research. McCarthy made significant contributions to the development of early AI programming languages, including Lisp, a language that played a crucial role in the field for decades.

Throughout his career, McCarthy worked at prestigious institutions such as Dartmouth College, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He received numerous accolades for his contributions, including the Turing Award in 1971, often referred to as the Nobel Prize of Computing.

McCarthy's research extended beyond AI, encompassing various fields such as formal logic, computer science, and robotics. He actively engaged in philosophical debates regarding the implications of AI and explored topics like computer-assisted theorem proving and the potential societal impact of intelligent machines.

Regarded as an intellectual giant and visionary, John McCarthy played a pivotal role in shaping the field of AI, laying the foundations for the advancements we witness today. He passed away on October 24, 2011, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the world of computer science.

Of course, Third World leaders love you. By ascribing third

Of course, Third World leaders love you. By ascribing third world ills to First World sins, you absolve them of blame for their countries' failure to advance.

John McCarthy


If a person can be said to have the wrong attitude, there is

If a person can be said to have the wrong attitude, there is no need to pay attention to his arguments.

John McCarthy


Nothingever happened on this globe, for good, at which some

Nothingever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the onset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have a malady in the less attractive forms.

Charles Dickens

Dad

Foolishness is rarely a matter of lack of intelligence or ev

Foolishness is rarely a matter of lack of intelligence or even lack of information.

John McCarthy

Intelligence

An excessive knowledge of Marxism is a sign of a misspent yo

An excessive knowledge of Marxism is a sign of a misspent youth.

John McCarthy

Knowledge

There is only one thing more harmful to society than an elec

There is only one thing more harmful to society than an elected official forgetting the promises he made in order to get elected that's when he doesn't forget them.

John McCarthy

Society

The slogan was 'Don't trust anyone over thirty'. Sixty years

The slogan was 'Don't trust anyone over thirty'. Sixty years later the slogan became, 'Don't trust anyone over ninety'.

John McCarthy

Trust

The peace movement is a great force for peace. Some of the w

The peace movement is a great force for peace. Some of the world's most quarrelsome people act out their aggressions through the peace movement.

John McCarthy

Peace

It is said that man doesn't live by bread alone. Sometimes t

It is said that man doesn't live by bread alone. Sometimes this is unfortunate, because people who cannot live by bread alone too often kill other people in consequence of the fights they get into.

John McCarthy

Alone