AI
Biographies
Meet the people, past and present, that have made AI possible
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Alan Turing Father of AI and Person of the 20th Century Alan Turing is a name that is synonymous with innovation and intellect. In his tragically short lifetime, Turing pushed the boundaries of what it means to think and be intelligent, both as human and machine. |
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Ada Lovelace Enchantress of Numbers Daughter of Lord Byron, Ada Lovelace is credited as being the first computer programmer, based on her work with Charles Babbage and his Analytical Engine, a mechanical general-purpose computer. |
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Grace Hopper Mother of Computing. Queen of Code. Debugger. Grace Hopper was a pioneering computer scientist, mathematician, educator, and US Navy Rear Admiral renowned for her contributions to computer programming and computer education. |
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Here are some of the people who have shaped AI into what it is today
John McCarthy (1927-2011)
A computer scientist who coined the term "artificial intelligence" in 1956 and organized the Dartmouth Conference, which is considered the founding moment of AI as a field of study. McCarthy also developed the LISP programming language, which became important for AI research.
Marvin Minsky (1927-2016)
A key figure in the development of AI and cognitive science, Minsky co-founded the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. He wrote "The Society of Mind", a book that explored how intelligence arises from the interactions of simple processes.
Herbert A. Simon (1916-2001)
A Nobel laureate in Economics, Simon was instrumental in the development of AI. He, along with Allen Newell, created the General Problem Solver, one of the first AI programs designed to mimic human problem-solving abilities.
Allen Newell (1927-1992)
A collaborator of Herbert Simon, Newell contributed to the development of cognitive psychology and AI. He helped design early AI systems such as the Logic Theorist and General Problem Solver, which were foundational to AI research.
Geoffrey Hinton (1947-present)
Known as one of the "Godfathers of Deep Learning," Hinton is renowned for his work on neural networks, particularly backpropagation, which made deep learning possible. His research has had a profound impact on modern AI, especially in areas like image recognition and natural language processing. 2024 Nobel laureate.
Yoshua Bengio (1964-present)
Another pioneer of deep learning, Bengio, along with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun, is considered one of the "big three" researchers in the field. He has contributed significantly to the development of deep learning algorithms and neural network models.
Yann LeCun (1960-present)
A leading figure in the field of AI, particularly known for his work on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). LeCun's work has been key in the development of AI systems for image and video recognition.
Judea Pearl (1936-present)
A prominent figure in AI and statistics, Pearl is best known for his work in causal reasoning and Bayesian networks. His research has influenced AI’s ability to handle uncertainty and causal relationships.
Ray Kurzweil (1948-present)
An inventor and futurist, Kurzweil is well-known for his work on AI, particularly his ideas about the "Singularity" — the point at which AI surpasses human intelligence. He has been a key advocate for the development of AI and its potential to transform society.
People of AI Today
From TIME Magazine's lists of the Most Influential People in AI. The lists reflect a shift from AI as a technological advancement to its recognition as a social and economic force, for AI is more than an algorithm, it's a human endeavor influenced by the ideas and innovations of many different people. Here are links to profiles of the leaders, innovators, shapers, and thinkers of AI, culled from TIME's lists of 2023 and 2024, representing industries, companies, research, artists, philosophers and more.
