description Bertie the Brain Overview
Bertie the Brain was a pioneering computer game created in 1950 for the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. It featured an algorithm that played tic-tac-toe against human players via a keypad and overhead light grid. The machine’s operation was presented as early artificial intelligence, though it was later dismantled and largely disappeared from historical records.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
info Bertie the Brain Specifications
| Year | 1950 |
help Bertie the Brain FAQ
What was Bertie the Brain?
Bertie the Brain was a large computer built for the 1950 Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. Visitors played tic-tac-toe against its artificial-intelligence program using a keypad and an overhead light grid. [Montreal Video Game Museum](https://en.mvmtl.org/timeline/bertie-the-brain-the-first-video-game-ever/)
Who built Bertie the Brain?
Canadian engineer Josef Kates created Bertie the Brain. The machine was demonstrated publicly in 1950, decades before home consoles became common.
How did people play Bertie the Brain?
A player selected a square on a keypad, and the machine responded with its own tic-tac-toe move. The board was shown through illuminated lights rather than a television screen.
Why is Bertie the Brain important in video-game history?
It is an early public example of a computer playing a game against a human. Its 1950 exhibition appearance predates OXO from 1952 and Spacewar! from 1962.
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