Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has been the term that has encapsulated the vast possibilities of the human mind for decades, thus revealing to us the marvelous world of computing and autonomous thinking. So far in its continuous rapid evolution, AI has come a long-long way, from being humble and perfect abstractions to revolutionizing our modern civilization.
Here we will delve into how this very technology has advanced over time and how it affects our daily lives.
20th century: inception of AI
In the middle of the last century, artificial intelligence embarked on its captivating journey, paving the way for the future of the digital age. This is considered a period of intense research and experimentation that established the fundamental principles of AI development.
American mathematician Allen Newell and English logician Herbert Simon were among the pioneers and early researchers of AI who unveiled the first computer program capable of imitating human thinking in 1956. Their vision involved the creation of software based on symbolic information processing, which marked the first step in the field.
Concurrently, researchers were developing the world’s first neural networks while trying to replicate the functioning of human brains. As a result, the first perсeptrons – artificial neural networks (ANN) capable of learning and performing tasks similar to those of nerve cells in the human brain – were born.
It is also commonly believed that Alan Turing was among the first people to propose the concept of a machine that could simulate human thoughts of any kind.
However, in the mid-20th century, artificial intelligence faced the limitations of computing power and data availability. Complex algorithms and finite resources prevented the full potential of AI from being unleashed.
Nonetheless, these insights provided a starting point for further evolution of artificial intelligence. What this period has shown is that AI is not just utopian fiction, but a viable field that could potentially reshape our world.
1960-70s: Rise and fall
As the 1960s and 1970s unfolded, the field of AI witnessed both breakthrough moments and some setbacks as well. These have been decades rich in exploration and numerous studies, leading to a number of significant achievements and highlighting the intricacies of working on AI.
In the early 1960s, artificial intelligence gained a huge boost as the Logic Theorist system was being designed. Created by Allen Newell and Herbert Simon, this computer software tool can prove mathematical theorems and served as the initial effort towards developing specialized AI systems.
In 1966, the ELIZA program was invented by Joseph Weizenbaum. ELIZA in fact was the earliest software capable of imitating human conversation using pre-programmed patterns and keywords. This has sparked tremendous interest in the field of chatbots and computational linguistics.
However, in the mid-20th century, artificial intelligence faced the limitations of computing power and data availability. Complex algorithms and finite resources prevented the full potential of AI from being unleashed.
Nonetheless, these insights provided a starting point for further evolution of artificial intelligence. What this period has shown is that AI is not just utopian fiction, but a viable field that could potentially reshape our world.
1990-2000s: AI-powered renaissance
Throughout this decade, artificial intelligence enjoyed a visible upsurge, worthy of being called the new Renaissance. This period was defined by dramatic progress in technology, driving greater interest in AI and transforming so many facets of our lives.
Several effective machine learning algorithms such as support vector algorithm (SVM) and deep learning neural networks (DNN) surfaced in the early 1990s. These techniques have vastly improved AI’s abilities in pattern recognition, natural language processing, as well as data-driven decision making.
In 1997, a well-known event took place that brought AI strongly to the public’s attention. IBM’s Deep Blue computer chess engine has defeated Garry Kasparov, a world chess champion. This in particular marked the first time a computer had beaten a human in a traditional board game, a feat that shined a spotlight on AI’s strategic thinking and analysis skills.
Over the course of the 2000s, big data and computing power advancements made it possible to come up with more sophisticated and smarter machine learning algorithms. Companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon have invested heavily in AI and produced a myriad of products based on its frameworks.
Artificial intelligence entered mainstream use in a multitude of fields, spanning medicine, finance, manufacturing, autonomous navigation, recommender systems, and more. Emerging technologies and algorithms have greatly contributed to the accuracy and efficiency of AI systems, leading to their ever increasing use.
Thus, the 1990s and 2000s witnessed a new heyday for artificial intelligence. Thanks to technological breakthroughs and the dedication of researchers, AI has been able to unlock its potential and become an integral part of our world today.
Modern state of AI
As we live in today’s world, artificial intelligence is a centerpiece of our lives. Recent progress in tech and continuous research has led to considerable pathbreaks in the field of AI, opening new horizons while also confronting us with new challenges.
One of the key features of modern AI has become a neural network model – Deep Learning. With this approach, we can build complex and scalable neural networks that can be trained on huge amounts of data. Deep Learning has become the ground zero for many cutting-edge technologies such as speech recognition, natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and on-board navigation.
Modern AI plays a crucial role in the field of medicine. Machine learning algorithms are being used to diagnose diseases, predict their course and develop personalized treatment regimens. Thanks to AI, researchers can access immense data on patients and can identify hidden patterns and links between different diseases.
Moreover, AI has penetrated the field of transportation. Self-driving cars and pilotless drones are now a reality, thanks to the development of computer vision, deep learning, and state-of-the-art planning and decision-making algorithms.
However, with the ascension and proliferation of AI, new challenges are also cropping up. Data privacy issues and ethical considerations in the usage of artificial intelligence are growing in importance. Similarly, questions regarding responsibility for the decisions made by AI systems arise, specifically when automated processes affect critical aspects of our daily lives.