a. 1956: The Dartmouth Workshop takes place in Hanover, New Hampshire. The term “Artificial Intelligence” is coined by John McCarty, Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon, and the foundational goals of the field are established (McCarthy et al., 2006). AI is referred as the branch of computer science where “machine-based approaches are used to make a prediction – emulating what an intelligent human might do in the same situation”.
b. Late 1950s to 1960s: Early AI research leads to the creation of programs that mimic human abilities, such as problem-solving and playing chess. In the 1950s, AI research delved into areas such as problem-solving and symbolic approaches. The subsequent programs that emerged post the Dartmouth Workshop left most observers awe inspired. Computers were suddenly capable of solving complex algebraic word problems, proving theorems in geometry, and even acquiring the ability to communicate in English. This era of research was marked by fervent optimism, with many experts confidently predicting the creation of a fully intelligent machine within two decades (Synaptiq, 2020). As the 1960s rolled in, the United States Department of Defense recognized the potential of this burgeoning field and initiated efforts to train computers in emulating rudimentary human reasoning. For instance, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) successfully executed street mapping projects during the 1970s as part of these endeavors (Naimark, 2006; Lippman, 1980). Goldstein and Papert (1977) characterized the exhibitions of the Dendral program (Lindsay et al., 1980) (the first expert system that automated decision-making process and problem-solving behavior) in the mid-1960s as a “paradigm shift” within the field of AI, marking a transition towards knowledge-based systems (Buchanan, 2005).