The telegraph is one of the earliest examples of digital representation. Messages were broken into dots and dashes, transmitted across wires, and decoded on the receiving end, just like how computers use the binary system of 0s and 1s today.
Before Samuel Morse’s system became widespread, telegraph systems were too expensive, complicated, and slow. The invention of Morse code simplified communication because it was extremely intuitive and easy to master. As operators got better at using Morse code, their messages could be transmitted faster and more accurately. Since the telegraph used a finite set of symbols, messages were also less vulnerable to noise.
However, digital representation also had its limitations. There was great complexity and cost in the mechanism itself. And, just like what we are experiencing with AI today, the telegraph was criticized, as people questioned how the technology may negatively affect society and communication.
Despite these concerns, investment in telegraph technology ultimately transformed communication in the U.S. While Western Union and the Bell Telegraph Company were the two major providers of the telegraph in the U.S., Western Union chose not to invest in the telephone, which was an evolution of telegraph technology. In contrast, the Bell Telegraph Company embraced the new invention and invested heavily. The company later became the American Bell Telephone Company, and eventually evolved into AT&T, a major telephone company that we all know today.