AI visionary named first Engelbart Distinguished Fellow

Distinguished Genevieve Bell - The Australian National University's Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell has been named the world's inaugural Engelbart Distinguished Fellow by SRI International for her trailblazing work on technology, artificial intelligence and culture. The two-year fellowship recognises "visionaries who are disrupting the traditional way we interact with and view technology" from around the globe. The Engelbart fellowship is named after one of the pioneers of modern computing and long-time SRI researcher, Doug Engelbart who delivered "the mother of all demos" in 1968 - the first demonstration of a personal computer. Engelbart orchestrated the first demonstration of a complete computer hardware and software system, and is credited with inventing the mouse and the concept of hyperlinking. Professor Bell said she was honoured to be named the inaugural Engelbart fellowship winner and recognised in such "stellar company".    "Doug Engelbart is one of the founders of modern personal computing and had a profound impact on all our lives," she said.   "Doug invented the tools that helped drive one of the greatest, if not the greatest, technological revolutions the world has ever seen.