Why the Real Computer Revolution Never Happened (Alan Kay & Anjan Katta)
I'm thrilled to share this very special episode of The Generalist—one I've been looking forward to for a long time. Today, we tackle one of the most urgent questions of our time: What should computing look like in the age of AI?I'm joined by two extraordinary guests: Alan Kay, a pioneer of modern computing whose vision helped shape the personal computer revolution, and Anjan Katta, founder of Daylight, who's building a radically reimagined personal computer designed for deep thinking in our AI-saturated world. This conversation has been months in the making, and I couldn't be more excited to bring these two brilliant minds together.We explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping our relationship with computers, whether current computing paradigms serve us well as AI becomes ubiquitous, and what new models of human-computer interaction we might need to thrive alongside intelligent machines.This is a conversation about reclaiming agency in an age of algorithms—and imagining computing tools that amplify human intelligence rather than replace it.
- Uploaded
- Uploaded May 27, 2026
- Queried
- Queried 0 times
Speaker A: What we don't need is something that mimics fallible human beings magnified by the Industrial Revolution. It's bad enough having fallible human beings putting out garbage and having the internet multiplying it. Speaker B: Is it better to have 1,000 times more fallible human beings if they're in the top 20% of intelligence? Speaker A: I think the operative word is wisdom, not intelligence. Speaker C: The first aspect of computing where I approach it is how do you help access the the front of your brain, your prefrontal cortex, the higher version of yourself versus falling into the lizard brain aspect of yourself.
We now have a second shot to start from scratch again with computing and build it up now with all the lessons we have and the wisdom. Speaker D: Hey, I'm Mario and this is The Generalist Podcast. The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed. Each week I sit down with the visionaries and builders who are living in that future to help you understand what's coming next and how you might prepare for it. Today's episode is truly special, a conversation with Alan Kay, the legendary computer scientist and polymath, and Anjan Kata, founder of Daylight Computer.
It's not an exaggeration to say that Alan helped invent the modern world. At Xerox PARC in the 1970s, he and his team created the foundations of personal computing as we know it. The graphical user interface, object-oriented programming, and the conceptual framework for laptops and tablets. Despite those achievements, Allen believes that the real computer revolution never actually happened. Instead, what we got were commercialized inventions that missed the deeper vision entirely. Anjan represents a new generation that's trying to course correct. His company Daylight has created what's arguably the most thoughtful computing device in quite some time.
Want to learn more?
Ask a question