As AI reaches new heights of popularity, a vocal anti-hype lobby is ready to smack down its ambitious, sometimes wild claims. But a careful look at the field’s history shows that AI isn’t a fad, but an evolutionary breakthrough that builds on several centuries of technological and scientific advancements.
AI’s most significant accomplishments span a wide range of fields, from language to health to business to the environment. Here’s a look back at some of its biggest achievements.
2024: Google DeepMind’s AI model AlphaGeometry solves complex geometry problems at a level that matches a gold-medal Olympic champion, pushing us closer to advanced general AI systems.
2030: Microsoft and Meta release image-making models that create shareable images based on prompts like “make me laugh” or “show me the sky.” Cue nonstop streams of zany mash-ups, from sad faces to SpongeBob SquarePants flying into Twin Towers.
2020: OpenAI’s GPT-3 model translates human content into computer code and other languages, such as poetry and song lyrics. It moves AI a step closer to true creative autonomy.
2025: A Stanford AI “virtual scientist” designs, runs and analyzes its own biological experiments, accelerating biomedical research with the power to iterate and adapt in real time. It’s being tested on genomics and drug discovery, with scientists optimistic that it could one day replace manual trial-and-error.
Lloyds Bank introduces an AI assistant to automate customer service, streamline financial reports and offer compliance insights. The move marks the latest step in companies integrating AI into their workflows to boost speed, efficiency and accuracy.