A Brief History of AI: From Fun & Games to Manufacturing Genius

AI began as a tool designed to compete with human intelligence. But IBM’s latest approach is bringing the two sides together to build a brighter and more productive future in manufacturing. (IndustryWeek and IBM Content)

John Hitch

Dec. 5, 2017

If you're worried about Artificial Intelligence taking over, you're too late. That smartphone in your pocket? AI. That time-sucking social media app? Yup, AI. That cyborg currently protecting you so you can one day lead a human resistance against the machines? He's AI, too.

AI is everywhere, and not just for trite search engine shortcuts to find the best sushi-taco fusion joint or a personnel assistant to order more laundry detergent. Today, Artificial Intelligence is already at work in manufacturing, from making sense of Big Data to managing critical assets.

So here's AI's ancient origin story, and how ideas conjured millennia ago are finally paying off and taking over the work we can't—or don’t want to—do.

And to see what one of manufacturing's most powerful AI tools, Watson, can do, check out IBM's Model Factory simulation HERE.

About the Author

John Hitch

Senior Editor

John Hitch writes about the latest manufacturing trends and emerging technologies, including but not limited to: Robotics, the Industrial Internet of Things, 3D Printing, and Artificial Intelligence. He is a veteran of the United States Navy and former magazine freelancer based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Questions or comments may be directed to: [email protected]