Why do some revolutionary technologies disappear from public memory, even when they shape the future? And what can an experimental supercomputer from the 1980s teach us about artificial intelligence today? 1/ AI is often abstract and opaque. It is powerful, influential yet difficult to fully understand or visualize. Before today’s AI boom, researchers and designers were already confronting this challenge: how to build a machine that could not only model the complex, networked logic of the human brain, but also make computation itself visible. This led to the creation of the Connection Machine, a pioneering supercomputer developed in the 1980s by Thinking Machines Corporation. Now, forty years after the introduction of its first model, scholars, engineers, designers, and artists are gathering at ZKM Karlsruhe for the symposium Envisioning AI: Legacy and Impact of the Connection Machine, taking place on 27–28 March, to reconsider its technological, cultural, and aesthetic legacy. Speakers include: W. Daniel “Danny” Hillis, Brewster Kahle @brewster_kahle , Lew Tucker @lewtucker , Thomas Haigh @ThomasHaigh , Heiner Igel, Johannes Schemmel, Natalie Kane @nd_kane , Paul Galloway, Gordon Bruce, and @tamikothiel On the cover: CM-2 and DataVault mass storage device

In today's Collector Focus, we spotlight @batsoupyum, a prominent figure in the web3 space, whose engagement with NFTs & digital art began in late 2020. Since then, he has actively supported creators & artists, building a significant digital art collection.