It feels like AI has taken a giant leap forward in the past year, but the journey here has been decades in the making. Here’s a short summary of the major advances that led us to this point of inflection.

While the concepts of AI were formulated many decades ago, significant advancements began around 2011. Google’s research on using deep learning to categorize videos revealed that machines could ‘see’ images better than humans, sparking an entire new field of research, including self-driving cars.

The next wave brought recommendation engines. eCommerce giants like Amazon, OTT platforms like Netflix, and content-sharing platforms like YouTube began using algorithms to recommend products and content. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter further amplified this, creating personalized content bubbles based on individual biases.

Today, we’re in the era of generative AI, where algorithms don’t just recommend content—they create it. AI can now generate text, images, videos, and music, transforming how we interact with technology.

So, what’s next? The future wave is expected to be General AI, which will transcend specific tasks and think and act horizontally like humans. This AI would be equally adept at creating music, driving autonomous cars, and conducting original research in quantum mechanics. But how far away is that future? Opinions vary widely, with some predicting it in 5 years and others in 20. And what will be the ethical, economic, and social implications of such advancements? Only time will tell.

Let’s stay tuned to these exciting developments and consider how they will shape our world.