People imagined something like artificial intelligence long before there was a Silicon Valley. In fact, the concept is probably as old as the human imagination. In “The Iliad,” tools in the workshop of the skillful god Hephaestus include voice-activated bellows that seem to know just how hard to blow. Walking with difficulty, he’s aided by golden attendants, “in appearance like living young women,” endowed with intelligence, speech and strength. Self-driving tripods for transportation are among his inventions as well.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 14, 2019 02:03 UTC