History of Artificial Intelligence

The topic I have chosen to blog about is Artificial Intelligence. According to Webster's Dictionary, Artificial Intelligence is "the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior". In other words it is the effort of the science community to create a machine with the ability to think and act like an intelligent human being, and most importantly learn. Currently "Researchers are creating systems which can mimic human thought, understand speech, beat the best human chessplayer, and countless other feats never before possible" (http://library.thinkquest.org/2705/, Retrived on November 28th, 2008). Since human beings use their brains to steer their behavior and thought the greatest challenge facing the scientific community is designing a robot system that mimics the human brain, which is made up of billions of neurons interconnecting to produce thought. This is one of the greatest challenges of attempting to create artificial intelligence during our time.

Artificial technology however has come a very long way since it's beginnings. A complete time line from start to present is available on USA Today's Tech section. The notion of AI began in the 1950's when Alan Turing published his book "Computing Machinery and Intelligence". Later on, in 1997, Deep Blue, IBM's AI computer project, beat beats world champion Garry Kasparov in chess match. This was followed by the first commercial interactive robot using AI technology to become commercially available to the public in 2000.

There exists a very big difference in the state that AI research is at now and the idea of robot's like R2D2 from Star wars. The technology needed to power thought and advanced learning in computers and/or robots is non existent as of now. According to particle physicist Michio Kaku the most advanced robotic artificial intelligence system that exists today is the equivalent of a "retarded cockroach". Meaning, the AI ability of machines today is not very advanced. If you give them a set of instructions, they will follow. For example, the robot that is currently on the lunar surface collecting samples and data, according to Michio Kaku, "...would take an hour to travel from one side of the room to the other side". Therefore, research into AI does have a long way to go but considering the strides in computer systems development that the world has gone through in the past decade, it is possible that AI may be properly developed in the not so distant future.

Sources

http://library.thinkquest.org/2705/
http://www.livescience.com/artificialintelligence/
http://www.aaai.org/AITopics/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/AITopics/BriefHistory
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2001-06-20-ai-history.htm