A Brief History of AI: How to Prevent Another Winter (A Critical Review)

Artificial intelligence has witnessed exponential growth in the past decade. Advances in computing power and the design of sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms have enabled computers to outperform humans in a variety of tasks. Yet, artificial intelligence's path has never been smooth, having essentially fallen apart twice in its lifetime after periods of popular success. We provide a brief rundown of artificial intelligence's evolution, highlighting its crucial moments and major turning points from inception to the present. In doing so, we attempt to learn, anticipate the future, and discuss what steps may be taken to prevent another winter.