2.1 Evolution of AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the discipline of computer science that focuses on creating systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, understanding natural language, and more. AI aims to develop machines that can think, learn, and adapt in ways similar to the human brain.

Think of AI like a very smart assistant. Just like a personal assistant helps you by remembering your schedule, finding information, and making recommendations, AI helps machines do similar tasks. It's like giving your computer a brain to understand and help you with everyday tasks.

AI is not a new concept. But recent advances in "generative AI" have impacted our everyday life so deeply that if feels like it just came out of "nowhere". Let's review a history of major AI advances over the years:

  1. Early Foundations (1940s - 1950s)

    • Turing Test (1950): Proposed by Alan Turing, this test assesses a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human.

    • Logic Theorist (1956): Created by Allen Newell and Herbert A. Simon, it is considered the first AI program, capable of proving mathematical theorems.

  2. The Birth of AI (1950s - 1960s)

    • Dartmouth Conference (1956): John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon coined the term "artificial intelligence" and organized this conference, marking the birth of AI as a field.

    • Perceptron (1957):An early neural network model developed by Frank Rosenblatt, laying the groundwork for modern neural networks.

  3. Expansion and Setbacks (1970s - 1980s)

    • Expert Systems (1970s): AI systems that emulate the decision-making ability of a human expert, like MYCIN for diagnosing bacterial infections.

    • AI Winter (1980s): A period of reduced funding and interest in AI due to unmet expectations and the limitations of early AI systems.

  4. Resurgence and Growth (1990s - 2000s)

    • Deep Blue (1997): IBM's chess-playing computer defeated world champion Garry Kasparov, showcasing the potential of AI in complex games.

    • DARPA Grand Challenge (2004): Autonomous vehicles competed to navigate a desert course, spurring advancements in self-driving technology.

  5. Modern AI (2010s - Present)

    • Deep Learning (2010s): The resurgence of neural networks with multiple layers, or deep learning, led to breakthroughs in image and speech recognition. Notable systems include Google's DeepMind and OpenAI's GPT series.

    • AlphaGo (2016): DeepMind's AI defeated the world champion Go player Lee Sedol, demonstrating advanced capabilities in handling complex tasks.

    • GPT-3 (2020): OpenAI's language model capable of generating human-like text based on deep learning techniques, highlighting advancements in natural language processing.

    • GPT-4o (July 2024): This is the most current generative AI language model

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