Artificial Intelligence
Learn about artificial intelligence — the rapidly advancing technology that promises to transform work, creativity, and society in ways comparable to the industrial revolution.
Artificial intelligence (AI) — the development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that normally require human intelligence — has emerged as perhaps the most consequential technology of the 21st century. From its theoretical origins in the 1950s to the breakthroughs of the 2020s, AI has moved from science fiction to a transformative force reshaping economies, societies, and the human experience itself.
The field experienced decades of hype cycles and 'AI winters' before the deep learning revolution of the 2010s, fueled by massive datasets, powerful computing hardware, and algorithmic breakthroughs. AI systems now outperform humans at specific tasks — from image recognition to game-playing to protein structure prediction. The emergence of large language models and generative AI in the early 2020s demonstrated capabilities that surprised even researchers, from writing code to creating art to engaging in sophisticated reasoning.
AI raises profound questions about the future. Optimists envision AI solving humanity's greatest challenges — accelerating scientific discovery, personalizing education, transforming healthcare, and increasing productivity. Pessimists warn of job displacement, algorithmic bias, autonomous weapons, surveillance states, and even existential risk from systems that might eventually exceed human intelligence. The debate about AI governance — how to develop and regulate this technology — has become one of the most urgent policy questions of the century, with the stakes potentially higher than any technological transition in history.