Vernor Vinge had an active imagination. The computer scientist turned science fiction writer, who passed away in March 2024, won the Hugo Award several times for his groundbreaking novels on artificial intelligence and virtual reality. His 1993 essay, "The Coming Technological Singularity," has become a guiding idea of the modern tech industry. And he was interviewed twice by Reason, once in print and once on video.
The FBI, however, knew Vinge as a potential threat. His file, which was declassified in February 2025 and released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) last week, includes papers from a 1982 investigation into Vinge. While the full context of the case is redacted, one of the memos notes that Vinge "may have been in contact with Karl Amatneek," a fellow computer engineer who "is the subject of a current espionage investigation."
The FBI files gave another reason why Vinge was someone to watch: "Subject has a security clearance and works at a sensitive facility." That clearance, which was active from July to August 1981, came from Vinge's work with Tetra Tech, a government contractor in Pasadena, California.
