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The Birth of AI
The term "artificial intelligence" emerges during a summer research workshop at Dartmouth. This conference, attended by John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon, Nathaniel Rochester, and others, is considered to be the event that kickstarted the field of AI. The Meeting of the Minds That Launched AI | Article -
Moore's Law
Gordon Moore writes an article describing the trend he is seeing in technological growth. This article is the start of Moore's law, a pattern of exponential growth in the field of technology, leading to a push for advancements in the field. -
Paul Ekman's FACS
Paul Ekman, along with Wallace V. Friesen, developed the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), which breaks down facial expressions into individual muscle movements, or action units (AUs). The system was created by Carl Herman Hjortsjö in 1970 and improved by Ekman. The system is used by animators, psychotherapists, computer scientists, etc. FACS laid the groundwork for facial recognition and emotions in the field of AI. FACS | Article -
Picard's "Affective Computing"
Nearly a decade after arriving at MIT, Rosalind Picard shares her ideas about the role of emotion in technology and intelligence after years of research. The document, titled "Affective Computing," is shared with Picard's colleagues and opens the door for her ideas to be shared with and further explored by others. -
Clippy: Microsoft's Office Assistant
Microsoft launches Clippit (now known as Clippy) as its first virtual assistant to help Microsoft Office users with writing, formatting, spelling, and organizing files. Unfortunately, Clippy is removed just five years later after users expressed their frustration with the untimely assistance. I Created Clippy | Video -
The Founding of Affectiva
Affectiva is founded by Picard and el Kaliouby, setting the stage for further AI technology and software to develop, including Affdex, the Q Sensor, and later several other innovations, including Picard's many wearables. Since the founding of Affectiva, its technology has been used by the vast majority of popular advertisers as well as nearly one-third of the world's Fortune 500 companies. Affectiva | Website -
Pepper the Robot
Pepper, a robot from SoftBank Robotics, is released as the first social robot that is commercially available. It has the ability to recognize faces, hold a conversation, make jokes, and answer questions. -
Future Prediction: AI Health Assistants
By 2030, AI health assistants will be widely used to enhance the medical field by assisting with tasks such as administering medications, checking vital signs, answering questions, and offering companionship for long-term patients. -
Future Prediction: Personal Wellness Robot
In 2100, people will own their very own wellness robot. This robot will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to design a personalized care plan, helping people meet fitness goals, change their mindset for the better, keep a routine, and assess their mental state. These robots will be able to scan their person's body to detect minor problems, such as vitamin deficiencies, as well as serious diseases and illnesses.