THE INTRIGUING TALE OF A D.M. COMPUTER FIRM AND THE CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000300080017-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 15, 2004
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: March 5, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2004/10/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R0003000
ARTICLE APRE4RE.D
ON PAGE-
By LEN ACKLAND
Reg+stw 8usu>s3 Wret"
A poster hanging on the wall of Dr.
Charles Cleveland's office at GMI
Ltd. in Des Moines warns against
machines causing harm to humans.
Cleveland, a young Drake Universi-
ty professor and businessman who
has developed a sophisticated
computer program that purports to
dig out the basic attitudes underlying
a person's spoken or written words,
calls the poster a "daily reminder" of
the potential abuses of technology.
.. That stated concern notwithstand-
ing, last summer Cleveland made
contact with a branch of the federal
government that was interested in his
computer program - the Central In-
telligence Agency. - The CIA now
refuses to discuss what it had in mind.
Cleveland met at least twice with
CIA agents about his computer
program, which is known as
"Quester." The 'first -meeting took
place in July with a CIA agent based
in Ankeny. The second occurred a few
weeks later, this time with a higher-
ranking agent in Washington, D. C.
"'At the meeting in .the nation capital,. the CIA requested more in-
formation from Cleveland, 33, whb is
president and principal stockholder of
GMI, which until recently was known
as Grey Matter,.Inc. ? -:`
' But he and the fledgling company's
other principals rejected the CIA's
overtures, Cleveland said. Those prin-
cipals include two Drake colleagues
= one of whom is Cleveland's wife -
and the chairman of the Sociology. De-
'partment ?:. at ,-the .. University, of
Minnesota.
There is no evidence that GMI has
Approved
DES MOINES SUNDAY REGISTER
Des Moines, Iowa
5 March 1978
its bed. 'Recent revelations about'
those liaisons led the agency to say it
would accept information volun-.
done any work for the M. Its local teered by domestic news media
clients, for which it made computer- personnel but would not put them on
ized market. surveys, include Iowa its payroll. The CIA refused to accept
Power & Light Co., American Federal the same policy for foreign journal--
Savings and Loan Association of Des ists.
Moines and the National Pork Was Quester seen as a method for,
Producers Council locating potential CIA informers in:
Just how far the talks progressed the media by analyzing their news`
between the small computer firm and stories? Or did the agency foresee
the CIA is uncertain. Those familiar other uses for the computer.
with the affair offer varying versions program?
of who first contacted whom and Since its birth in 1947 as a collector,
what went on. Some flatly refuse to and analyzer of data, the Central In-
discuss it. And the CIA is mum, telligence Agency became increasing
except for a string of "no comments." ly dominated by covert operations -~
Whatever, the truth, the matter , involving assassination attempts,;
raises intriguing questions because of mind-control experiments 'and..
Quester's claimed abilities, reports domestic spying - according to al
about how the CIA sought to apply U. S. Senate study conducted in 1976.
.them, and the discrepancies among . Cleveland commented that because-
those involved. ' of Quester's nature, "We're in an area.
? Questerr which was developed by where we could be badly used:'
and belongs to Cleveland, but which is However, in two interviews last
used by GMI,_is described in company. month,. Cleveland declined to discuss
literature as. a computer.-,program the intended purpose for Quester:
that "measures attitudes of people expressed by the CIA representatives,
about , organizations, products, he met.
services, concepts arid situations l He also contradicted himself on
and in some instainces makes:predic.~.. several key points in discussing the
bons about how.people will react. to matter:
given. situation or what needs to Cleveland said he suggested to the
happen before they-, will react in a CLL. that Quester be used "basically,
given way.".. for processing newspaper informa-
One well-placed source 'said that Lion coming from other countries." ' the CIA wanted to' use quester to He indicated that he viewed
analyze wire service stories'prepared Quester as a tool to aid the CIA in its
and distributed by the nation's two legitimate intelligence-gathering'
largest news agencies, the Associated function. "Certainly there's nothing
Press and United Press International. negative in helping collect accurate . t
The source, who was among those information," the professor said.
who heard Cleveland report on his. Initially, Cleveland said that the
Washington trip, understood that the CIA agent with whom he met in
CIA intended to expand Quester into Washington had voiced doubts about
helping it "construct profiles of the whether the computer program
thinking and attitudes of individual would be worth buying. Since the.'
ency would rather do its analysis
rnalists
"
: a
o
g
.
_
j
u
l ..._The CIA often has had journalists In "by hand," Cleveland said, there was
For Release 2004/10/13: CIA-RDP88-013 o~reason for further discussions
'Qv-hra company..
.: ]