Let's take a stroll back in history along AI's timeline with a good cup of coffee for SundayX✨
Ancient Times-1600s: Myths and Early Machines
People have always dreamed of “thinking” creations. Think Greek myths about statues coming to life or medieval tales of golems—magic robots, kinda.
1200s:
Philosopher Ramon Llull makes a logic system with spinning wheels to combine ideas. It’s not AI, but it’s an early stab at mechanical reasoning.
1600s:
Mathematicians like Gottfried Leibniz dream up machines that can calculate and reason. Leibniz even imagines a universal language for logic—sounds like baby steps toward programming.
1800s:
First Computers and Logic Machines
1830s:
Charles Babbage designs the “Analytical Engine,” a mechanical computer that could theoretically be programmed. It’s never fully built (too pricey and clunky), but it’s a big idea.
1840s:
Ada Lovelace, working with Babbage, writes the first “program” for his machine and predicts computers could do more than math—like music. She’s basically the first coder.
Late 1800s:
George Boole invents “Boolean logic” (true/false math), which ends up being the backbone of all computers later on.
1900s-1930s: Foundations of Computing
1930s:
Alan Turing comes along with his “Turing Machine” idea—a theoretical device that can solve any math problem if given enough time. It’s not real, but it proves machines can compute anything.
Same time, folks like Claude Shannon show how electrical circuits can use Boolean logic—basically, how to make computers think in 1s and 0s.
It’s still not “AI” yet, but these ideas are the building blocks. Without them, no computers, no AI.
1940s-1950s:
The Idea of "Thinking Machines" Pops Up
Folks like Alan Turing start asking if machines can think. Turing’s a math genius who helped crack codes in WWII.
He comes up with the “Turing Test” to see if a machine can fool a human into thinking it’s human.
In 1956, a guy named John McCarthy coins the term “Artificial Intelligence” at a conference. It’s basically the dream of making computers act smart.
1960s-1970s:
Early AI Gets Clunky but Cool
First AI programs are born, like ELIZA—a chatbot that pretends to be a therapist. It’s simple but feels futuristic.
Computers are huge and slow, and AI can only do basic stuff like solve math puzzles or play checkers.
People get hyped, but the tech isn’t ready—leads to the first “AI winter” where funding dries up ‘cause progress stalls.
1980s-1990s:
AI Starts Learning and Beating Humans
“Expert systems” come along—programs that mimic human experts in stuff like medicine or engineering.
In 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue beats chess champ Garry Kasparov. Big moment—shows AI can outthink humans in specific games.
Neural networks (kinda like fake brain cells) get some buzz, but computers still aren’t powerful enough to make them shine.
2000s-2010s:
Big Data and Big Wins
Internet explodes, giving AI tons of data to chew on. More data = smarter AI.
In 2011, IBM’s Watson wins Jeopardy! It’s a beast at understanding human language and trivia.
Deep learning (fancier neural networks) takes off ‘cause computers are now fast and cheap. AI starts recognizing images, voices, and more.
Google, Facebook, and others pour money into AI. Self-driving cars and Alexa-like assistants start showing up.
2020s-Now:
AI Goes Mainstream and Chatty
Chatbots like me (hey, that’s Grok!) get really good at talking naturally, thanks to models like GPT and others.
AI’s in everything: your phone, your car, your doctor’s office. It’s writing stories, making art, even helping scientists crack tough problems.
Big debates spark up—people worry about AI taking jobs or being too powerful, but it’s also solving crazy stuff like climate models or medical diagnoses.
Today?
AI’s still growing fast.
It’s less “sci-fi” and more “your buddy who’s weirdly good at everything.”
That’s the quick rundown! AI’s come a long way from “can it think?” to “can it roast me on X?'
(The above summary was generated by Grok with my prompt. I believe transparency with AI is of the highest importance and I'll always disclose when I use it. Upon review of the original post, linked in my user name above, this statement is not included. I ran out of character space on X and I should have added a post to this effect- though for this post, I think it is fairly obvious. Image for this post created in collaboration with Grok. SundayX is a weekly post to my X TL that started January 19, 2025 and has covered a variety of topics including short stories, personal essays and poetry. All of which flow from my pen and not AI generated.)
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