Next week hear from a very special guest blogger, Professor William Crossman author of VIVO (Voice-In / Voice-Out). Professor Crossman was named in New York Daily’s Millennium Edition as one of the six most influential people in science.

In Professor Crossman’s book he outlines why advances in Voice-In / Voice-Out computer technology will make text and written language obsolete. We can already see much of Prof Crossman’s prophetic observations coming to pass today. Have you ever tried to comprehend some of the strange iconic ‘text’ language the kids are using these days? I think they call it L337 Speak (leet or 'elite' speak). The use of text characters appearing as images called emocons is another ironic use of text to create a different language with icons. ; )

Professor Crossman sees this trend going much further. So, keep an eye on the ten-year-old 1337 h4X0rZ use of keyboard iconography for a glimpse into the future. Part of me fears for future generations, being run by a bunch of n00bs!

Now I’ll turn you over to Professor Crossman’s talking points about his book VIVO, to give you an idea of his farsighted ideas on how technology will change our society.:

Talking Points from William Crossman’s book VIVO [Voice-In/Voice-Out]: The Coming Age of Talking Computers. (For a more complete list of talking points, see the FAQ section at the end of the book, or view it on his website www.compspeak2050.org.)

 1. Finally, there is a technology—voice-recognition technology—that can erase the “digital divide,” democratize the flow of information worldwide, and create a truly “global conversation.” Access to the world’s storehouse of information is a human right.

2. Voice-in / voice-out talking computers (VIVOs) will make text / written language obsolete, replace all writing and reading with speech and graphics / video, and recreate an oral culture by 2050. This will be a positive development.

3. The obituary for text / written language won’t be written; it will be spoken by someone talking to their VIVO in 2050. That is because no one in Year 2050, except some academic specialists, will know or remember how to write or read.

4. Text is a technology—an ancient technology for storing and retrieving information. We store information by writing it; we retrieve information by reading it. As with all technologies, text will be replaced by a newer technology that does the same job more quickly, efficiently and universally.

5. Text / written language isn’t a necessity of life; it’s just a technology. Just as the car replaced the horse and wagon, speech and graphics / video will replace text, and talking computers will replace text-driven computers.

6. The three great potential opportunities carried by VIVOs:

•      80% of the world’s people are functionally nonliterate; VIVOs will allow them to access the world’s storehouse of information.
•      VIVO’s instantaneous language–translation function will allow everyone in the world to speak with everyone else, and with any information source, in their own native language. Language barriers will melt away.
•      VIVOs will allow people whose disabilities prevent them from writing and / or reading to access all information by speaking, listening, looking, and / or signing.

7. The four “engines” driving us into an oral culture by 2050:

•      Humans are genetically, evolutionarily hard-wired to access information by speaking, listening, and using our other senses. We just start speaking or signing at age 1 or 2—we don’t just start writing.
•     We seek to develop information technology that uses our biogenetic hard-wiring: our innate ability to speak. Also, we replace older technology with newer technology that does the same overall job better. These explain why VIVO R&D is surging today.
•     Young people are rejecting text / written language as their technology of choice for accessing information. As they rely more on oral, aural, tactile, and non-text visual information technologies, their IQ’s and visuality are increasing.
•     The 80% of the world’s people who are functionally nonliterate are demanding access to all information without needing to learn to write and read.

8. VIVOs will drastically change education, business and commerce, international relations, the arts—in short, the ways we do everything.

9. VIVOs will end the school literacy crisis. By 2050, there will be no reason to require young people to learn to read and write, and therefore no reason to require schools to teach it. Instead of the “3 R’s”—reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic—K-12 education will be based on the “4 C’s”—critical thinking, creative thinking, compspeak (accessing information using VIVOs), and calculators. Students will learn eight presently-neglected VIVOlutionary skills for accessing information using talking computers.