The next twenty years in information retrieval; some goals and predictions

Some of the history of retrieval machine development during the past 20 years is sketched as background. At present, there still are no completely satisfactory machines for retrieval from large collections. Solution of the language problem in retrieval is currently somewhat ahead of machine development. Future developments are sketched. Work is already underway on the use of machines for the assignment of descriptors to the text, which is a crude kind of mechanical translation. Retrieval machines will soon be called upon to assist the customer in using a retrieval system by helping him to formulate his search requests. This assistance amounts to education of the customer. The notion of education by machine is extended to machine assistance in helping the customer to read the documents uncovered. It is shown how this process, when combined with work on mechanical translation, will lead to machines which can provide essays on any given subject upon request. Machines will become archival devices to store facts, not texts. Human‐to‐machine and machine‐to‐human communication will become very important. Information machines can be expected to become as numerous as computers now are.