The AI breakthrough is when artificial intelligence achieves a significant milestone, advancing the technology beyond its role as an assistant or a tool to help humans do their jobs. These breakthroughs challenge long-held assumptions about what is possible with AI and mark new frontiers for innovation.
In 1956, Cornell University professor Frank Rosenblatt proposed that a computer could “recognize patterns in optical, electrical and tonal data.” This marked the first step toward creating an intelligent machine that could perceive and process information in ways similar to humans.
A number of important AI advancements have occurred in the last two decades. A key milestone was the shift from rules-based decision-making to statistically derived decision-making using neural networks. This change accelerated the pace of AI development and helped establish AI as a business tool that is transforming operations, customer experiences and bottom lines.
Another significant advancement was the development of reinforcement learning in AI. This change in algorithm enables an AI to use data to learn from its mistakes and improve over time. For example, an AI system may be able to solve a chess game by trial and error, based on its observations of the actions of other players. This is an unprecedented capability that can speed up the development of new applications for AI.
In 2022, Google DeepMind announced that it had developed the first Reinforcement Learning AI to control the plasma inside a nuclear fusion reactor. This is an incredible feat that can potentially accelerate the production of abundant clean energy for all.