Historical Figures and Their Contributions to AI

Artificial intelligence has become a powerful tool for developers and computer scientists since it was first conceived in the 1950s. Since then, it has steadily grown into a behemoth, used extensively across the world and online where it can be observed on nearly all platforms including social media, language processors, and more. 

Looking back, there are many milestones in the development of AI that can be expounded upon, but it is also important to mention some of the developers themselves who laid the foundation for machine learning and more advanced networks like deep learning. So, let's take a closer look at the biggest names in AI. 

Alan Turing

Alan Turing was a British mathematician and computer scientist who had a primary influence on the development of AI and computer science. He studied at multiple universities including Cambridge and Princeton and played a key role in deciphering the German Enigma code during WWII. Following the war, Turing spent much of his time teaching at the University of Manchester researching computational logic. 

Turing is most known for the Universal Machine which laid the foundation for modern computer architecture. Later named the Turing Machine, this theoretical construct was able to simulate other Turing machines and carry out computational programs which led to the development of stored-program computers that contained data and memory space. 

Later in life, Turing also developed the Turing Test which comprised a list of criteria that could determine whether a machine was able to display greater intelligence than a human. This ignited debates on the development of AI and would play a central role in the development of Deep Learning. 

John McCarthy

John McCarthy was an American computer scientist who was directly responsible for the term “Artificial Intelligence.” As a student, he attended both California Institute of Technology and Princeton, eventually earning a Ph.D. in Mathematics. This led him to research roles at prestigious schools including Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

During the mid-1950s, McCarthy famously held a summit meeting at Dartmouth University about the study of AI and its relevance to computer science. He invited professors worldwide to attend, laying the groundwork for what would become the future of machine learning and coining the term Artificial Intelligence. 

Following his summit, McCarthy then went on to develop the LISP programming language which became the preferred language for AI programming. LISP stood out for its use of symbolic expression that allowed machines to manipulate material which was essential for the development of natural language processing. 

Marvin Minsky

Marvin Minsky was an American computer scientist who began his studies at Harvard University and Princeton University where he earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics. He then went on to lead research at MIT where he developed advancements in neural networks. These early networks, called Snarc, utilized symbolic AI but were initially randomized and posed limitations on solving certain classes of problems. 

In 1985, Minsky would go on to help establish the MIT Media Lab which hosted advanced research in AI. This research laboratory was focused on combining AI technology with multimedia and digital outlets, helping future scientists apply machine learning algorithms to different tools and computers.  

Grace Hopper

Grace Hopper was an American computer scientist and US Navy Rear Admiral who combined efforts in military service and academic pursuit. She originally attended Vassar College and later earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from Yale University. Later, she would go on to develop UNIVAC I which was one of the first large-scale electronic computers. 

Hopper would later become instrumental in the development of Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL) which was designed for business processing. This programming language was similar to natural language, making it more user-friendly for businesses that wanted to apply AI algorithms to business forecasting. 

Hopper also advocated for the standardization of programming languages, reducing the number of languages future scientists would need to learn. This helped create larger libraries for common languages like Python and had an influential impact on the development of future software. 

Claude Shannon

Claude Shannon was an American electrical engineer who was responsible for the foundation of digital communication and information theory. He began his studies at the University of Michigan before studying computer circuitry at MIT. His thesis on digital circuit design led to the development of entropy which measured a formation’s uncertainty. 

Shannon was also known for his application of Boolean algebra which analyzed and optimized relay circuits, improving the logical operations that could be produced by a machine. This helped create more robust hardware, fit for AI development and robotics. 

Who will come next?

The development of AI has a rich history of figures that have all played instrumental roles in the creation of machine learning. From the very beginning of computer science with Alan Turing and McCarthy’s formal creation of AI, there has been a steady incline of what is capable within the realm of computer science. 

However, it is the scientists of tomorrow that always garner the most excitement, taking the principles from the past and building on them to create even greater innovations in the future. With generative AI creating so much buzz, we can only imagine what exciting new developments will come next.