Sega AI Computer

The Sega AI Computer, released in 1986, is one of Sega's most obscure and rare pieces of hardware. Designed primarily as an educational tool for children, the computer was intended for use in Japanese schools. It featured a 16-bit NEC V20 CPU running at 5 MHz, 128 KB of RAM, and a unique touchpad interface that utilized customizable overlays. The system's software was delivered on Sega My Cards and audio cassettes, and it ran on a custom operating system based on the Prolog programming language, which was notable for its early incorporation of artificial intelligence concepts. The Sega AI Computer was discontinued in 1989 and remained largely forgotten until recent efforts by preservationists who successfully emulated the system in 2024 using MAME, making its software accessible to a broader audience for the first time.