John McCarthy
Computer scientist who coined “artificial intelligence” for the 1956 Dartmouth workshop
The computer scientist (1927–2011) who coined the phrase “artificial intelligence” in the 1955 proposal for the Dartmouth Summer Research Project, and later created the Lisp programming language.
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Elements of AI
Free, no-math introduction to artificial intelligence from the University of Helsinki.
Why this: Also about artificial intelligence
The Cybernetic Artificial Intelligence (CAI): A new scientific field for modelling and controlling Complex Dynamical Systems
Conference paper from IFAC TECIS 2024 proposing 'Cybernetic Artificial Intelligence' — the argument that AI lost something real when it dropped cybernetics, especially the difference between correlation and causation. The full text and PDF are free on ScienceDirect.
Why this: Also about artificial intelligence
John von Neumann: Life, Work, and Legacy (Institute for Advanced Study)
The Institute for Advanced Study's free biographical page on John von Neumann, who joined its School of Mathematics at 30 — covering his work on quantum theory, game theory, the stored-program computer architecture nearly every machine still uses, and his wartime work.
Why this: Also about computing history
Adam Elkus
Writing of Adam Elkus on technology, security, AI and political violence — long-form essays connecting computing history with policy and human values.
Why this: Also about computing history