The evolution of AI

In the previous section, we have seen that the term AI was coined back in 1956. But really and truly, as can be seen in Figure 1.1, AI is built on other areas whose development dates much earlier, almost to the dawn of mankind. We first meet records of automations in Homer’s Iliad, where automatic door openings were described. In Ancient Egypt, statues of deities could move their heads to send signals to the people, while in Greek mythology, we find records of Hephaestus’s automata, Talos the man of bronze, and the silver watchdogs of King Alkinous of the Phaiakians. Mankind has been dreaming of AI since the very beginning!

We have to keep in mind that AI is a multidisciplinary field of study made up of different bits and pieces brought forth from the intersection of different topics (see the following diagram):

Figure 1.1 – Origins of AI

The following are the most important areas that contribute to AI:

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