Internet Archive launches vintage AI software collection

The Internet Archive has launched a new collection titled ‘Vintage Artificial Intelligence,’ featuring emulated software from the 1970s through the 1990s that can be played directly in a web browser.

Curated by Jason Scott, the collection includes historical programs designed to simulate human-like interaction. Notable entries include Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA, a script designed to mimic a therapist, and Racter, a 1985 commercial chatbot capable of generating prose.

The archive also hosts interactive software such as Activision’s Alter Ego, a psychology-based decision game, and David Crane’s Little Computer People. Other included works feature specialized structures like Suspended, which distributes a player's consciousness across multiple robotic units.