1950
01
ideaThe question
Alan Turing reframes “Can machines think?” as an observable imitation game.
SOURCEFirst, an idea.
Then, an era.
A short history of machines learning to recognize, predict, generate, and surprise.
MOVE THROUGH TIMEPAST
PRESENT
1956
02
originA field gets its name
The Dartmouth summer workshop establishes artificial intelligence as a shared research project.
SOURCE1997
03
milestoneThe machine wins
IBM Deep Blue defeats world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game match.
SOURCE2012
04
breakthroughLearning to see
AlexNet demonstrates the power of deep convolutional networks on large-scale image recognition.
SOURCE2016
05
surpriseMove 37
AlphaGo’s unexpected play against Lee Sedol becomes a symbol of machine-discovered strategy.
SOURCE2017
06
architectureAttention changes the architecture
The Transformer replaces recurrence with attention and unlocks a new scale of language learning.
SOURCE2022
07
cultureThe interface becomes language
Generative models move from laboratories into everyday creative and knowledge work.
SOURCENOW
08
choiceIntelligence becomes a medium
The central question shifts from what machines can produce to what people choose to do with them.
SOURCE0108
THE UNFINISHED CHAPTER
History stops here. Choice begins.
Progress is not a force of nature. Every dataset, objective, interface, and safeguard is a decision someone made.
OPEN THE PLAYGROUND