A report from the National Research Council outlining an agenda for the future of computer science has attracted stinging comments from nearly 1,000 computer scientists, including some of the major names in the field. The critics say the report completely ignores large areas of computer science, such as artificial intelligence (AI). They are calling for the document to be withdrawn and revised.

On September 4, the detractors sent a petition to the E-mail message boards of the United States' largest university computer science departments. The message brands the NRC report as "misleading and even harmful as an agenda for future research." It asks those with similar feelings to "join in requesting the report's withdrawal."

However, NRC chairman Frank Press refuses to consider any major changes in the report, entitled Computing the Future: A Broader Agenda for Computer Science and Engineering. The document, released July 13, was produced by NRC's Computer...

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