In today’s age, artificial intelligence and machine learning have become the primary technological forces heralding in the emergence of a new era. This has led many people to ask, ‘Who is the father of AI technology?’ If you didn’t know the name of the pioneer of AI and machine learning, stick around to the end to find out who crafted technology to the point that they were able to make machines think for themselves.

Who Pioneered Artificial And Machine Language In The Early Days?

The quest to build a machine that can think for itself without the need for excessive human input is similar to the IT world’s quest for the holy grail or philosopher’s stone. The early days of AI were characterised by a transition from science fiction to theoretical reality, and the main pioneer of AI and ML during this period was a British mathematician and scientist named Alan Turing, who is now referred to as the father of ML and AI.

Who Was Alan Turing?

Often referred to as the father of computer science, as well as the father of artificial intelligence, now that AI has progressed so far, Alan Turing was the one who provided the philosophical and mathematical bedrock for AI. In his influential 1950 paper, Computing Machinery and Intelligence, he famously asked, ‘Can machines think?’ To answer this question, he proposed the Turing test, which was then called the ‘imitation game,’ which moved the conversation away from the abstract nature of consciousness to measurable, intelligent behavior.

John McCarthy: The Successor To Turing And The Father Of AI

Alan Turing gave AI its logic, but the name was given by someone else, who is now referred to as the founder of AI or the modern-day pioneer of artificial intelligence. In 1956, John McCarthy organised the Dartmouth Scientific Research Project on Artificial Intelligence, marking the first time in history that the term ‘artificial intelligence’ was ever used. McCarthy’s goal was to explore the conjecture that ‘every aspect of learning and intelligence can be described so precisely that a machine will be able to emulate it.’ He also developed Lisp, the programming language that would become the standard for AI development for decades to come.

Arthur Samuel: The Father Of Machine Learning

While John McCarthy and others focused on high-level logic and symbolic reasoning, Arthur Samuel was interested in how computers can learn from experience. While working for IBM in 1952, Samuel wrote a program to play Checkers. Because the computer’s memory was limited, he developed a method in which the machine would look at the current state of the board and learn which moves are most likely to guarantee a win. In 1959, he coined the term ‘machine learning’ and defined it as the ‘field of study that gives computers the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed.’ His contributions have forever cemented his name in history as the father of ML. 

The Dartmouth Group (Minsky, Shannon, and Rochester)

Beyond the big three names that pop when you ask the question, “Who is the father of AI?”, there is another group that is equally as instrumental in the development of artificial intelligence. Marvin Minsky co-founded the MIT AI lab and focused on neural networks and cognitive psychology. Claude Shannon, referred to as the father of information theory, explored the limits of data and communication, while Nathaniel Rochester designed the first commercial scientific computer (the IBM 701) that allowed these theories to be tested in the real world.

Who Is The Father Of AI Technology?

In the world of technology, the term ‘father of artificial intelligence’ is rarely given to one person. The true fatherhood of AI is a category divided into three subcategories: the conceptual father of AI, the formal father of AI, and the practical father of AI.

1) Alan Turing, The Conceptual Father Of AI:

When people ask, ‘Who is the founder of AI technology?’ Alan Turing’s name comes up at the very top of most discussions. Turing’s innovation and conceptualisation laid the foundation for the development of artificial intelligence, and his 1936 paper, ‘Computable Numbers,’ established the mathematical limits of what machines can do.

2) John McCarthy, The Formal Father Of AI:

If we describe the father of artificial intelligence as the person who moulded the concept and established AI as a specific discipline, then John McCarthy deserves the title. McCarthy didn’t just coin the term at the 1956 Dartmouth conference; he spent the next 55 years refining and developing it. He was the first to advocate for ‘time sharing’ systems, which allowed multiple people to use a computer at once, which was a pivotal moment in the development of AI.

3) Marvin Minsky, The Practical Father Of AI:

 While McCarthy was the organiser, Marvin Minsky is often viewed as the most influential thinker regarding how the mind of a machine works. He founded the MIT AI lab and wrote the book The Society of Mind, which proposed that intelligence is not a single process, but a collection of smaller, non-intelligent ‘agents’ working together.

Who Is The Father Of AI In India?

The title of ‘father of AI in India’ is generally attributed to Professor Raj Reddy. Born in Andhra Pradesh, Reddy moved to the United States for his doctoral studies, and he became the first ever PhD student of John McCarthy. The direct lineage from the founder of the field allowed him to bring valuable knowledge back to the Indian scientific community.

In 1994, Raj Reddy became the first Asian person to receive the Turing Award, which is sometimes referred to as the Nobel Prize of Computing. He received this honour alongside Edward Feigenbaum for their work in ‘pioneering the design and construction of large-scale artificial intelligence systems.’

Professor Raj Reddy’s work focused on how machines could interact with the physical world in a human-like way. His major breakthroughs in the development of AI include:

● Speech Recognition:

He led the development of interactive systems such as Hearsay I, one of the first programs capable of continuous speech recognition.

● Robotics and Vision:

Professor Reddy was the founding director of the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, turning it into a global hub for autonomous systems.

● AI for the Masses:

He has been a lifelong advocate for ‘universal digital libraries’ and using AI to help people who cannot read or write, ensuring technology serves the ‘bottom of the pyramid.’

His meaningful contributions to the development of artificial intelligence throughout the world have earned him the informal sobriquet, the ‘father of AI in India.’

Recent Developments In Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning

The world of artificial intelligence sees new developments constantly, and here are some of the recent developments in AI made possible by the abilities of machine language and intricate programming by thousands of scientists who have been following in the footsteps of the forefathers of AI.

1) The Rise Of Multimodal Large Language Models (LLMs):

 We have moved beyond text-only interfaces that dominated AI just a few years ago. The latest LLMs like GPT-4o, Gemini 1.5 Pro, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet are natively multimodal. They can see, hear, and speak with near-zero latency, and developments in ‘long-context’ allow models to process entire libraries of books or hours of video in a single prompt.

2) AI Agents and Autonomy:

The AI industry is shifting from ‘chatbots’ to ‘agents.’ Unlike a chatbot that just answers questions, a well-rounded AI agent can use tools to browse the web and execute code, reason through multi-step tasks, and self-correct and iterate on their own work without constant human prompting.

3) Small Language Models (SLM) and Edge AIs:

 Unlike large language models, SLMs thrive on efficiency. Companies like Microsoft (Phi-3), Google (Gemma), and Meta (Llama 3) have released powerful small language models that can run locally on smartphones or laptops without an internet connection.

4) Generative Video and Media: 

Tools like Kling, Luma Dream Machine, and Runway Gen-3 can now create high-definition, hyper-realistic, and physics-compliant video from a simple text prompt. Platforms like Suno and Udio are doing for music what Midjourney did for images, creating broadcast-quality songs in seconds.

5) AI in Scientific Discovery:

 Lastly, the most important development in AI has been in the field of hard sciences. AI models are now able to predict protein structures and design new synthetic drugs at speeds previously impossible. ML models like GraphCast are now outperforming traditional supercomputer simulations for weather forecasting and material science.

Conclusion

If you ever had the question, ‘Who is the father of AI?’, now you have your answer. It is difficult to attribute the founding or creation of artificial intelligence to a single person, which is why many names come up in the discussion when the father of artificial intelligence is being discussed. If you want to learn more about the various tasks that you can perform with AI tools in 2026, read more blogs at SSSI.