h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is Babbage's invention relevent to this story? Binary code would be critical!

The references in the prologue were meant as just hints of Spade's understanding of the progress of technology. So there's a connection made, between wooden punch cards meant to "program" automated looms in the 19th century and AI computers. But it's a quantum leap from one to the other - there is a connection but Spade doesn't fully understand it. I hadn't intended to go into great detail about it, though.

I think in the end I'll ditch the Prologue.

Sometimes a leap into the depths can work as a literary device.
Have a robot haul him over for speeding, or a hovercar take him from the airport to his home. This may set the reader's imagination in the right frame to accept any futuristic imagery.