From Myth to Revolutionary Technology – A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence

Hamburg Creating artificial intelligence (AI) is a centuries-old dream. At least since ancient times, people have desired an analog for themselves. Greek mythology has known a 30-meter-tall humanoid named Talos protecting Crete. In the Middle Ages, myths such as that of the golem, which sometimes resembles a human machine molded from clay, anticipated the concept of a thinking being.

It became concrete only in the twentieth century. Research pressure from world wars and the electronics revolution made possible machines that previously seemed unimaginable.

The history of artificial intelligence, spanning the following decades, has been mostly cyclical: boom phases alternated with sober “AI winters” during which the field lacked support and money. Researchers such as Marvin Minsky who only lasted in these stages have often advanced their discipline to extremes.

1940 to 1979: The Turing test and synthetic psychotherapists