The history of artificial intelligence (AI) reveals how early 20th-century ideas evolved into today’s powerful technologies shaping our future.
I’m Rehman, and I share powerful, story-driven content about AI and technology in a way that’s simple, insightful, and engaging.
What is the History of Artificial Intelligence?
When most people think about AI, they imagine it’s a brand-new innovation, something that only came into play recently. And yes, it’s true that AI has only become widely used in the last decade or so. But here’s the real story: the history of artificial intelligence goes way back — over a century.
The foundations of AI started forming as early as the early 1900s. While the most groundbreaking progress didn’t happen until the 1950s, those milestones were built on the pioneering work of scientists, mathematicians, and visionaries from several disciplines.
Understanding the history of AI is more than just learning facts — it gives us insight into how far we’ve come and helps us forecast where the future of AI might be headed next. In this guide, I’ll walk you through all the major phases of AI development from the early concepts to today’s advanced intelligent systems.
In this article, we’ll explore:
1. What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful branch of computer science focused on designing systems that can think, learn, and make decisions — just like humans do. These intelligent systems are built to process huge amounts of data, recognize patterns, and continuously evolve by learning from experience.
From voice assistants like Siri to recommendation engines on Netflix, AI is now shaping how we interact with technology in our daily lives. At its core, AI is all about enabling machines to mimic human intelligence — whether it’s through understanding language, solving complex problems, or even making predictions.
2. The History of Artificial Intelligence
The idea of artificial intelligence isn’t new; it goes back thousands of years. Ancient philosophers and inventors were already exploring the concept of life-like machines. Early creations called “automatons” were mechanical devices that could move independently, without any human control. The word comes from ancient Greek and means “acting on its own will.”
One of the earliest known automatons, a mechanical pigeon, was built around 400 BCE by a friend of the philosopher Plato. Later, in 1495, Leonardo da Vinci designed a famous humanoid automaton that could sit, wave, and even move its jaw.
While the dream of machines acting independently is ancient, the real breakthroughs in AI history started in the 20th century. That’s when engineers and scientists began laying the foundation for the smart systems we use today.
3. Groundwork for AI (1900–1950)
The early 1900s sparked a wave of imagination around artificial humans. Stories and media explored the idea of creating machines that could think, and soon, scientists began wondering: Can we build an artificial brain?
Some early inventors even created mechanical beings – basic “robots” that were steam-powered and capable of simple actions like walking or showing expressions. The term robot itself was first introduced in a 1921 Czech play.
Key Moments in Early AI History:
- 1921 — Czech writer Karel Čapek introduced the word “robot” in his play Rossum’s Universal Robots, describing artificial people.
- 1929 — Japan’s Makoto Nishimura built Gakutensoku, the country’s first robot.
- 1949 — Computer scientist Edmund C. Berkeley published Giant Brains, or Machines That Think, comparing computers to human minds.
4. Birth of AI (1950–1956)
This period marks the true beginning of artificial intelligence as a serious field of study. Theories turned into action, and real progress was made. British mathematician Alan Turing introduced ideas that became the foundation of AI — most famously, his concept of measuring machine intelligence through what we now call the Turing Test.
It was also during this time that the actual term “artificial intelligence” was coined, officially kickstarting the movement.
Key Milestones in AI History:
- 1950 — Alan Turing published Computer Machinery and Intelligence, proposing the Imitation Game (later called the Turing Test).
- 1952 — Arthur Samuel created a checkers-playing program — the first AI that could learn from experience.
- 1955 — John McCarthy organized a workshop at Dartmouth, coining the term “artificial intelligence” and pushing it into the spotlight.
5. AI Maturation (1957–1979)
After the term artificial intelligence was coined, the next two decades saw both rapid breakthroughs and major challenges in the AI world. The late ’50s and ’60s were all about momentum — new programming languages, the rise of robotics, and AI entering pop culture through books and films.
The 1970s kept the innovation going — from early autonomous robots to Japan’s first humanoid machines. But the hype also started to fade. Governments, especially in the U.S. and U.K., began cutting back research funding, as early promises didn’t deliver instant results.
Major Milestones in AI History:
- 1958 — John McCarthy developed LISP, a key AI programming language still used today.
- 1959 — Arthur Samuel coined the term machine learning while training machines to play chess better than their creators.
- 1961 — The first industrial robot, Unimate, started work at a GM plant, handling dangerous tasks on the assembly line.
- 1965 — Edward Feigenbaum and Joshua Lederberg built the first expert system, simulating human-level decision-making.
- 1966 — Joseph Weizenbaum launched ELIZA, the first chatbot, using natural language processing to talk like a therapist.
- 1968 — Soviet scientist Alexey Ivakhnenko introduced methods that would later evolve into deep learning.
- 1973 — James Lighthill’s critical report led to a major funding cut for AI research in Britain.
- 1979 — The Stanford Cart successfully navigated a room full of chairs on its own — one of the earliest self-driving robot successes.
- 1979 — The American Association of Artificial Intelligence (now AAAI) was officially founded to support ongoing AI progress.
6. AI Boom (1980–1987)
The 1980s were an exciting time for the history of artificial intelligence. This period is often called the “AI Boom” because interest in AI grew fast — thanks to discoveries and strong support from governments.
During this time, researchers built expert systems and explored deep learning. These allowed computers to make smarter decisions and learn from their own mistakes, without needing a human to guide every step.
Important Events in AI (1980–1987):
- 1980 — The first official AAAI conference (Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence) was held at Stanford University.
- 1980 — A commercial expert system named XCON was launched. It helped customers choose computer parts automatically based on their needs.
- 1981 — The Japanese government invested $850 million in the “Fifth Generation Computer Project.” Their goal: build computers that understand and speak human language.
- 1984 — The AAAI warned that interest and funding in AI might soon drop — this warning led to concerns about a slowdown in AI research.
- 1985 — An AI art program called AARON was shown to the public. It could create drawings on its own.
- 1986 — A team in Germany built the first driverless car that could drive up to 55 mph on clear roads.
- 1987 — A company launched Alacrity, a smart business tool powered by over 3,000 AI rules. It helped managers make better decisions.
