Scanning through the history of Computer Science (incl. personal experiences and anecdotes), we observe that there have been and are many different images of what Computer Science (CS) is. Once it was a “New Kid on the Block” in the STEM scientific hierarchy of the “exact” sciences (“practically very useful, but not really scientific”). Now it is hailed as the geopolitical key to a global Digital Transformation that is proclaimed to revolutionize every sector of society and economy (not to forget War and Peace). CS, however, has had major difficulty in acknowledging and coming to terms with its own social and societal nature; but with an outdated self-image it is not ready for the future. CS is becoming an instrument for major powers to colonize the digital world and from there the “real” world, in ways reminiscent of what the 19th century colonial powers did during the Industrial Revolution. The (also scientific) task at hand is then to Decolonize the Future. In line with such a reverse perspective, the talk will end, not with Q&A, but with an A&Q session.
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