Where Did It All Begin? The Fascinating History of AI

 

Hey everyone! Yes, it’s me, István, that Hungarian guy you know. I spent the whole night thinking about what to share with you today. I decided that we’re going to wander off the beaten path a bit—let’s travel back in time and try to find out how this whole AI thing started moving at such a breakneck speed. I think it’s going to be interesting, so... let’s dive right in!

1. The Beginning (1950s): Can Machines Think?

The story begins when computers were still rare, but one genius could already see the future.

Our journey starts back in 1950 with a man named Alan Turing. He wasn't just a mathematician; he was a visionary. He asked a simple but mind-blowing question: 'Can machines think?'  To test this, he invented the Turing Test. The idea was simple: if a human is talking to a machine and a person, and they can't tell which one is the machine, then the machine has passed the test. This was the very first spark that lit the fire of Artificial Intelligence. Back then, people thought it was science fiction, but Turing knew better.

2. The Name is Born (1956): The Dartmouth Conference

Imagine that in the summer of 1956, a group of young and enthusiastic scientists gathered at Dartmouth College. They were like the tech astrophysicists of their time.

In the summer of 1956, a small group of brilliant minds gathered at Dartmouth College for a legendary workshop. It was here that a scientist named John McCarthy first coined the term Artificial Intelligence.

They were incredibly optimistic. They actually believed that if they worked together for one summer, they could make a machine that could solve all kinds of problems, use language, and even improve itself. They didn't quite finish it in one summer—as we now know, it took a few more decades—but the dream was officially born and named. This was the moment AI became an actual field of science.

3. The AI Winters: When Everything Froze

Imagine that after the initial enthusiasm, governments and investors realized that the machines were still too weak to achieve what scientists had dreamed of.

After the big excitement of the 50s and 60s, reality hit hard. We call these periods the 'AI Winters'. Imagine a time when the money stopped flowing, and people started saying: 'AI is just a fairy tale.' > The computers of that era were like calculators compared to what we have today. They couldn't handle the huge amount of data needed for real intelligence. In the 1970s and again in the late 80s, the field of AI almost 'froze' to death. It wasn't because the ideas were bad, but because the technology wasn't ready yet. It’s a great lesson: sometimes, even the best ideas need time to wait for the right tools.

4. The Big Leap (2010s): Big Data and Supercomputers

Imagine that AI sat in a dark room for decades, waiting. Then suddenly it got the internet and modern video cards.

Fast forward to the 2010s. Two things changed everything: Big Data and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). Suddenly, we had billions of photos, texts, and videos on the internet to 'feed' the AI. At the same time, we realized that the powerful chips used for video games were perfect for training AI.

This led to the birth of Deep Learning. In 2012, an AI called AlexNet shocked the world by recognizing images almost as well as a human. This was the 'Big Bang' of our modern era. AI wasn't just a lab experiment anymore; it started powering Google Translate, Facebook’s face recognition, and even self-driving cars.

5. 2022 - The ChatGPT Moment: AI for Everyone

This is the moment when AI left the research labs and moved into our everyday lives.

Then came November 2022, the moment that changed everything for us, regular users. OpenAI released ChatGPT, and suddenly, AI had a voice. It wasn't just for scientists anymore. For the first time, anyone could talk to a machine, ask for advice, write poems, or solve complex coding problems in seconds.

This sparked a new 'Gold Rush.' Giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta joined the race. Today, in 2026, AI is no longer a futuristic dream—it’s a tool that helps us work, learn, and create every single day. We’ve come a long way from Alan Turing’s first question, but the journey is just beginning.

So, there you have it! From a simple question in 1950 to the powerful tools we use today, AI has had quite a ride. I hope this little time travel helped you see that we are living in a truly historic era. What do you think? Is AI the best invention of humanity, or should we be careful? Let me know in the comments!If you are curious about my previous article, click here:AI for Seniors: Why It’s Never Too Late to Start

It was me, István, and may the force be with you, bye.