Roots of artificial intelligence may stretch back to antiquity

The current fervour around AI raises the question of whether we are standing on the threshold of a new technological era, or merely chasing another fleeting dream. History shows that the roots of artificial intelligence reach back millennia, as people have long pondered whether they could ever create life.

The hype surrounding AI today has ballooned into a spectacular phenomenon, yet enthusiasm for technological innovation is by no means new. Throughout history, people have repeatedly believed that a new invention could fundamentally and swiftly transform the world – from the tulip mania of the 17th century to the dot-com bubble of the 1990s.

At the same time, the roots of artificial intelligence reveal that this is not merely a technological concept: it is rather a kind of myth that recalls one of Western culture’s oldest stories – humanity’s desire for creative power, according to The Conversation.

Prometheus, the first technological revolutionary

The deeper cultural roots of artificial intelligence are perhaps best illustrated by the ancient Greek myth of Prometheus. The Titan who stole fire from Hephaestus did not merely give humans light – he also bestowed upon them the intelligence necessary for creation.

According to the myth, after acquiring fire, humans learned to write, build houses, read the stars, domesticate animals, and even interpret dreams. Prometheus’ gift was thus a fragment of divine creativity.

The Greeks also suggested, simultaneously, that humans themselves might be created through technology. Prometheus and Hephaestus seemed to fashion the first man and woman as artisans in a workshop, raising the idea that if humans can be artificially produced, then so too might we create artificial beings.

The papacy and the roots of artificial intelligence in the Middle Ages

The Prometheus myth did not disappear in the Middle Ages. Legends surrounded Pope Sylvester II, who lived in the 10th century, claiming that, drawing on his astronomical knowledge, he created a speaking bronze head that could answer yes–no questions.