AI’s Surprising Role in Our Daily Lives
Everyone living under the sun is talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI) these days. But have you ever thought about how it all started?
Despite being around for several years, many people still think of artificial intelligence (AI) as something straight out of science fiction.
This one Right?
Oops! But let us tell you, the “science” behind AI is very real, and it’s already impacting our lives in ways you may not have even realized. From healthcare to manufacturing, agriculture to finance, AI is being used in many industries to improve efficiency and performance. In fact, it’s becoming so powerful day by day that some of us can’t even imagine it.
In the last few months, AI has been making waves in the healthcare industry because of its ability to detect early symptoms of several diseases. Recent research by ScienceDaily shows that Drexel University’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Healthcare Systems recently demonstrated that OpenAI’s GPT-3 program could predict the early stages of dementia by using its spontaneous speech technology. Surprisingly, the results were 80% accurate, which gives an idea of how powerful it has become.
So, if you’re ready to explore the AI world, where did the term come from? Who were the founding fathers, and how it’s shaping our world today,
Keep reading!
Where Did the Term AI Come From?
An American Computer and Cognitive Scientist invested his whole life, energy, time, and money in making machines intelligent and is therefore known as the Father of Artificial Intelligence. That great scientist is none other than John McCarthy, who played a significant role in making machines intelligent. He is one of the contributors of the paper that coined the term Artificial Intelligence for the very first time.
Follow along in this blog post, and we will discuss more about the father of artificial intelligence, who he was, and what he accomplished in his lifetime.
Let’s get into it.
Who is Known as the Father of Artificial Intelligence?
Who was John McCarthy? - The Father of Artificial Intelligence (1927 - 2011)
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Early Life of John McCarthy
Image from: Stanford University
On September 4, 1927, John McCarthy was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His ancestors belonged to the Irish and Lithuanian. During the great depression, McCarthy’s family had some tough times and moved around a lot when he was younger. However, after years of struggle, his father found a job in Los Angeles, California. Finally, they were able to settle down and build a life there.
McCarthy’s parents always encouraged their son to think critically, leading to the young McCarthy reading many books and becoming very interested in science.
John McCarthy also showed excellent mathematics skills; as a teenager, he studied College mathematics by borrowing textbooks from his local library. As a result, McCarthy could skip two years of math when he enrolled at the California Institute of Technology.
Higher Education & Early Research of John McCarthy
John McCarthy received his Doctorate in mathematics from Princeton University in 1951.
After completing his studies, McCarthy began working as a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in artificial intelligence. In 1956, McCarthy left MIT to join the faculty of Dartmouth College, where he helped organize the Dartmouth conference. At the conference, McCarthy and his colleagues laid out the basic principles of artificial intelligence research and proposed that we can make machines that could think like humans.
JohN McCarthy's Contribution for AI ( 1958-1960)
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In 1958, he developed the LISP programming language, which is still widely used in AI research today. LISP was the first programming language designed specifically for artificial intelligence and is regarded as one of the most significant advancements in AI.
In the 1960s, McCarthy continued to work on artificial intelligence and computer science. He developed the concept of logic programming, the idea that we could program a computer to solve problems logically by reasoning. Additionally, he worked on developing expert systems, which are computer programs that mimic the decision-making abilities of human experts in a particular field.
John McCarthy helped motivate the creation of project Mac at MIT while working there and at Stanford University. Additionally, he helped establish the Stanford AI Laboratory, a friendly rival to project Mac for many years. John McCarthy was also very involved in creating three compatible of the earliest time-sharing systems, the BBN time-sharing system, and the Dartmouth time-sharing system.
JohN McCarthy's Contribution for AI ( 1961-1971)
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In 1961, John McCarthy was the first to propose the utility computing idea publicly. In a speech made to mark MIT’s 100th anniversary, he mentioned that time-sharing Computing technology could result in a future where computing power and we could even sell specific applications through the business model of Public Utilities such as water or electricity. This idea of a computer or information tools was very popular during the late 1960s but faded by the mid-1990s. Since the start of the twenty-first century, this idea has resurfaced in new forms.
In 1971, McCarthy received numerous awards for his work in artificial intelligence and cognitive science. For instance, he received the Turing award, considered the Nobel Prize for computer science.
JohN McCarthy: Father of Artificial Intelligence
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He was awarded the national science medal in 1991 and the Kyoto prize in 2002.
As the father of artificial intelligence, McCarthy’s work inspires generations of scientists and researchers to exceed the realm of the possible in artificial intelligence. His contributions to the field have profoundly impacted the world we live in today and will continue to shape the future of technology for generations to come.
When talking about artificial intelligence, the founding fathers mentioned in addition to John McCarthy are Alan Turing, Marvin Minsky, Alan Newell, and Herbert a Simon. Together with Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude E Shannon, John McCarthy coined the term AI in a proposal they wrote for the famous Dartmouth conference in 1956, after which AI also began as a field of research in the late 1950s.
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Other Innovators who Contributed to Artificial Intelligence
John McCarthy was not the only one who contributed to Artificial Intelligence. Here are some other influential people who contributed and significantly impacted the success of artificial intelligence.
1. Allen Newell (1927- 1992)
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Early Life of Alan Newell
Allen Newell was an American Computer Scientist and Cognitive Psychologist. He was born in San Francisco, California, in 1927. As far as his education is concerned, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Physics from Stanford University. He did not stop his education there; he later earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University.
After completing his studies, Newell started working at the Rand Corporation as a researcher in the field of cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence. In the early 1950s, he worked on the development of the first AI program, the logic theory, which was able to prove mathematical theorems. This theory was one of the first attempts to create a computer that could reason like a human.
Higher Education & Early Research of Alan Newell
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After completing his studies, Newell started working at the Rand Corporation as a researcher in the field of cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence. In the early 1950s, he worked on the development of the first AI program, the logic theory, which was able to prove mathematical theorems. This theory was one of the first attempts to create a computer that could reason like a human.
In 1956, Newell joined the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University and helped establish the artificial intelligence Department. Additionally, he established the Center for the study of decision making, which played a crucial role in the development of artificial intelligence research and helped to establish Carnegie Mellon University as one of the world’s top hubs for AI research.
Throughout his career, Newell’s work in artificial intelligence focused on developing intelligent agents and studying how humans make decisions. In the 1960s, he developed the concept of “Soar,” a cognitive architecture based on the idea of simulating human problem solving and decision-making processes. This concept is still widely used in the field of artificial intelligence today.
Alan Newell's Contribution to the Field of AI
In the 1970s, Newell focused on creating ways to store knowledge in a computer, known as knowledge representation. In addition, he worked on developing planning systems which are computer programs that can plan and execute actions. Newell’s work in artificial intelligence also led to the development of a number of important AI applications.
He made significant contributions in the field of natural language processing which is the study of how computers can comprehend and generate human language. He also worked on the development of intelligent agents and autonomous systems. Newell’s contributions to the field of artificial intelligence have profoundly impacted the world we live in today. His work has led to the developing of new technologies and applications that have changed how we live and work. He also holds the credit for developing the concept of “Soar” and knowledge representation, which have significantly impacted the field of artificial intelligence.
In addition to his work in artificial intelligence, Newell was also a Pioneer in the field of cognitive psychology and decision-making. He developed the concept of heuristics which are simple rules that humans use to make decisions quickly and efficiently. He also worked on developing agent-based systems, which are computer programs that mimic autonomous agents’ behavior.
Newell’s work in artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, and decision-making received great appreciation. In 1975, he received the Turing award. Moreover, he also received the national medal of Science in 1986.
2. Herbert A. Simon (1916 - 2001)
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Early Life of Herbert A. Simon
An American Political Scientist, Economist, and Cognitive Psychologist, Herbert A. Simon was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the year 1916. He received his education from the University of Chicago, where he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science. He later earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and political science and economics.
After completing his studies, Simon began working at Carnegie Mellon University as a researcher in the field of artificial intelligence. In the early 1950s, he worked on developing the first AI program, the logic theorist, which was able to prove mathematical theorems. This was one of the first attempts to create a computer that could reason like a human.
Herbert A. Simon's Contribution to the field of AI
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Throughout his career, Simon’s work in artificial intelligence focused on developing decision-making algorithms and studying how humans make decisions. In the 1960s, he developed the concept of bounded rationality, which is the idea that humans are not always rational and that cognitive and computational constraints limit their decision-making.
This concept is still widely used in the field of artificial intelligence and decision-making today. In the 1970s, Simon developed the concept of satisficing, which is the idea that humans make decisions by finding the first satisfactory option rather than the optimal option. This concept is also still widely used in the field of artificial intelligence and decision-making today.
In 1978, he received the Turing award. Additionally, he was given the national medal of Science in 1986 and the Kyoto Prize in 1991.
3. Alan Turing (1912 - 1954)
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Early Life of Alan Turing
Alan Turing was a British mathematician and computer scientist born in 1912 in London. Turing was fascinated by mathematics and science from a very young age. Many mistaken Alan Turing as the father of artificial intelligence due to his famous contribution to developing modern computers. He joined King’s College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1934 with a degree in mathematics.
After completing his studies, Turing began working at the Government Code and Cypher School at bletchi Park, where he helped to crack German codes during World War II. His work at bletchi Park played a crucial role in the war’s outcome and is considered one of the most outstanding intelligence achievements in history.
Alan Turing's Contribution to the field of AI
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In 1936, Turing published a paper on computable numbers in which he proposed the concept of the universal turing machine. This concept was the basis for the modern computer and proved to be one of the most important contributions to the field of computer science.
After the war, Turing continued to work on artificial intelligence and computer science. He introduced the Turing test in a paper titled “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” which was published in 1950, a test used to determine a machine’s ability to think like a human. He also worked on developing the ACE (Automatic Computing Engine) computer, one of the world’s first electronic computers.
Alan Turing’s Legacy lives on through the many institutions and research programs named in his honor, including the Turing award, which is considered the Nobel Prize of computer science. His work continues to inspire generations of scientists and researchers to push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of artificial intelligence.
Here is a video from Cambridge University that beautifully summarizes the life of the great legend Alan Turing.
4. Marvin Minsky (1927 - 2016)
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Early Life of Marvin Minsky
Another great name in the field of artificial intelligence is Marvin Minsky, an American Cognitive Scientist, and Computer Scientist. A legend who was born in 1927 in the heart of New York City. From the very early days of his childhood, he was interested in Science and Mathematics. He graduated from Harvard University with both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Furthermore, he earned his Ph.D. in mathematics and computer science from Princeton University. As soon as he completed his Ph.D., he started working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a researcher in the field of artificial intelligence.
In the early 1950s, he worked on the development of the first neural network computer, the “SNARC.” This was one of the first attempts to create a computer that could learn from its mistakes and improve its performance over time.
Marvin Minsky's Contribution to the field of AI
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In 1956, Minsky joined the faculty of MIT and helped establish the MIT media lab and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AI laboratory. These two organizations played a crucial role in developing artificial intelligence research. They helped establish MIT as one of the world’s leading centers for AI research.
In the 1970s, Minsky developed the concept of “society of mind,” which is the idea that the human mind comprises many different agents or sub-minds, each with its own function. This concept is still widely used in the field of artificial intelligence today.
In 1969, he received the Turing award. Additionally, he received the National Medal of Science in 1979 and the Kyoto prize in 1988.
Major Inventions of Artificial Intelligence
After scraping the history of artificial intelligence, let’s explore some of the latest inventions of artificial intelligence that’s been playing a vital role in today’s world.
1. ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI. It was made accessible to the public on November 30, 2022, and it’s been trending since then. Everyone is astonished because it is unbelievably powerful. It is an AI algorithm that uses natural language processing (NLP) to interpret and respond to human language. It uses GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), trained on massive text datasets.
We can use ChatGPT for various tasks, such as answering questions, brainstorming ideas, writing emails, etc. Another great ability of ChatGPT is its ability to generate results even when given a small amount of input (aka prompt).
2. AI Art Generators
Another AI technology that has been making waves within the art industry is AI Art Generator. They produce the artworks of your imagination through your input. Just write down the words related to the artwork that comes into your mind, and the next thing you know, AI Art Generator will create the artwork for you.
Now, you might be thinking, how on earth is this possible? Well, it’s possible with the help of Computer Vision (CV), a branch of AI that allows computers and machines to understand and interpret visual information, such as images and videos.
AI art generators use computer vision to generate new images, videos, and other forms of artwork. AI art generators also give artists and an average non-artistic person new ways to create and inspire.
3. Self-Driving Cars
One of the most astounding AI inventions is the development of self-driving cars. Companies like Tesla, Waymo, etc., were at the forefront of leveraging this technology, and it’s rapidly becoming a reality. Self-driving cars have the potential to prevent accidents caused by human error, improve traffic flow, and make transportation more efficient.
4. Virtual Assistants
You all would agree when I say virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Assistant have become an inevitable part of our everyday lives. These AI-powered assistants can perform a wide range of tasks, from scheduling appointments to ordering groceries, making our lives more convenient and efficient.
5. Robotics
Various industries are using AI-powered robots nowadays, from manufacturing to healthcare. They greatly assist working professionals because they can perform tasks that are too dangerous or difficult for humans. In addition, they can work non-stop without getting tired. As a result, these robots are improving efficacy and productivity in many industries.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the contributions of the “fathers of artificial intelligence” have laid the foundation for the incredible advancements we see in Artificial Intelligence today. Their work has opened up countless possibilities for various industries to improve efficiency, accuracy, and overall performance.
As Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more groundbreaking developments that will alter the way we work and live. AI technology is rapidly advancing and will soon significantly affect every part of our daily lives. It’s a fantastic time to be a part of this ever-growing field, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for AI.
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Naima is a skilled and experienced content writer, with a passion for creating high-quality, well-researched articles and blog posts. With her strong writing skills and attention to detail, Naima is able to craft engaging and informative content that resonates with readers.
In addition to her work as a content writer, Naima is also highly interested in technology and artificial intelligence and is always looking for ways to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in these fields.
