A Brief history of Artificial Intelligence: From logic to learning machines

The latest PoliRuralPlus webinar, “A Brief History of AI,” led by Patrick Crehan (CKA), offered a fascinating journey through the evolution of artificial intelligence- from its philosophical and mathematical origins to today’s data-driven, learning-based systems.

The session began by tracing AI’s conceptual roots to ancient thinkers such as Aristotle, Euclid, and Al-Khwarizmi, whose work laid the foundations of formal reasoning, geometry, and algorithms. Participants then followed the historical progression through key scientific milestones, including George Boole’s Boolean logic, Claude Shannon’s information theory, and Alan Turing’s universal machine, which collectively enabled the birth of modern computing.

A major focus of the webinar was the contrast between the symbolist and connectionist paradigms in AI. The symbolist approach -represented by expert systems and rule-based reasoning - was discussed alongside the connectionist tradition inspired by neural networks and brain modeling. Examples such as IBM’s Deep Blue, DeepMind’s AlphaGo, and IBM Watson illustrated both the power and limits of domain-specific intelligence.

The discussion also addressed the ethical and practical challenges facing contemporary AI, including data curation, annotation, and algorithmic bias. The speaker cautioned against anthropomorphizing AI systems, reminding participants that even the most advanced large language models are pattern-based systems without consciousness or intent.

The webinar concluded with reflections on the philosophical implications of AI research, touching on ongoing debates around intelligence, awareness, and the nature of cognition. Participants were invited to continue exploring these themes in future PoliRuralPlus sessions focused on the role of AI in rural innovation and policymaking (19 Dec 2025 at 10:00 CET on zoom).

👉 Follow the PoliRuralPlus Tools Webinar Series through our website and social media channels to explore more on how AI and geospatial intelligence are transforming regional innovation and policy-making.