Page 19 - AI & Machine Learning for Beginners: A Guided Workbook

Early Optimism: The Dream of Thinking Machines

The pioneers of AI believed that machines could be programmed to
think, reason, and solve problems like humans. This ambitious
vision fueled early research into logic-based AI systems.

Early AI Programs

Logic Theorist (1955): Developed by Newell and Simon, this

program could prove mathematical theorems, demonstrating AI’s
potential in reasoning.

General Problem Solver (1957): An ambitious attempt at

creating a system that could solve any structured problem using
logic.

The early days of AI were marked by optimism, as researchers
believed that human-like intelligence in machines could be
achieved within a few decades. However, the road ahead would
prove far more challenging than expected.

The Rise of Optimism & Early Achievements (1960s)

The 1960s saw rapid advancements in AI, with researchers
believing that machines capable of true human intelligence were
just on the horizon.

Natural Language Processing (NLP): ELIZA (1966), an early

chatbot developed by Joseph Weizenbaum, mimicked human
conversation by responding to text inputs. While simplistic, it
sparked excitement about AI’s potential in language understanding.

Game Playing: AI programs were designed to play checkers

and chess, with early systems already competing against human
players. These successes fueled optimism that AI could master
complex problem-solving.

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