Artificial intelligence: reflecting on the past and looking towards the next paradigm shift

Abstract

ABSTRACT Artificial intelligence (AI) has undergone major advances over the past decades, propelled by key innovations in machine learning and the availability of big data and computing power. This paper surveys the historical progress of AI from its origins in logic-based systems like the Logic Theorist to recent deep learning breakthroughs like Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), Generative Pretrained Transformer 3 (GPT-3) and Large Language Model Meta AI (LLaMA). The early rule-based systems using handcrafted expertise gave way to statistical learning techniques and neural networks trained on large datasets. Milestones like AlexNet and AlphaGo established deep learning as a dominant AI approach. Transfer learning enabled models pre-trained on diverse corpora to excel at specialised downstream tasks. The scope of AI expanded from niche applications like playing chess to multifaceted capabilities in computer vision, natural language processing and dialogue agents. However, current AI still needs to catch up to human intelligence in aspects like reasoning, creativity, and empathy. Addressing limitations around real-world knowledge, biases, and transparency remains vital for further progress and aligning AI with human values. This survey provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of AI and documents innovations that shaped its advancement over the past six decades.