AI (computer)

AI , also MIT-AI , later ai.ai.mit.edu, was a PDP-10 computer used at the Department of Artificial Intelligence of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , on which the ITS operating system was running. At the same time, ITS was also developed on the computer.

Up until the end of operations in May 1990, AI was a central meeting point for the early hacker community . The computer was connected to the Arpanet (address 2/6, later IP address 10.2.0.6) and the CHAOSnet (address 2026) and allowed anyone access as a "tourist". Since ITS had originally been designed without any security measures, participation with full access to all data was initially possible by simply connecting to the computer via Telnet . Later, at pressure from the university administration, a login system was installed that required a user account with a password to use the computer. In protest, however, many put their own password on the blank input.

A prominent user of AI was Richard Stallman . The hacking community around the computer and the ITS operating system inspired him significantly in creating the GNU project .

An AI-inspired computer is featured in Password Swordfish .

Web links

• ITS: The Incompatible Time Sharing System ( Memento of August 24, 2007 in the Internet Archive ): A copy of the AI's file system trimmed to user data at the time ITS operations ceased
• SV , an AI fume cupboard in active operation under a PDP-10 emulation.
• random old ITS mention ...