History of Artificial Intelligence

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

How can we discuss the present and future of Artificial Intelligence if we don't understand its past and how we arrived at our current situation? As the pervasiveness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our lives and society reaches new levels, new and old questions arise, demonstrating the urgency in equipping present and future generations with tools to understand the evolution of AI better. For over 70 years, AI has provided us with an enthusiastic sequence of events beyond the continuous cycles of hype and disillusion. Understanding how these events unfolded is crucial to understanding and debating AI today and foreseeing its future applications and challenges. The "History of Artificial Intelligence" course has three main learning goals: 1) identify critical events that influenced the rise of AI and align them with the history of related scientific disciplines; 2) describe the various phases of AI's evolution and context and discuss their influence in present discussions; and, 3) reflect on AI's ethical/societal implications and critique current/possible applications.