William E. Halal

The year 2000 signals the beginning of a new information millennium, according to William E. Halal. He argues that numerous trends in information technology since the 1970s—including more powerful computers, sophisticated software, and the growth of global communications networks—are likely to converge by the turn of the century and revolutionize the way Americans live and work. Halal warns that although information is a strategic resource, new technologies must be introduced cautiously because they always produce new dangers as well as gains. Halal is a professor of management science at the George Washington University School of Business and Public Management. A director of the World Future Society, Halal currently heads its World 2000 project.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How do neural networks function differently from traditional computer processes...