The concept of artificial intelligence has been discussed for centuries in various forms, but the modern era of AI began in the mid-20th century. One of the earliest mentions of the idea of artificial beings with intelligence akin to humans can be traced back to ancient Greek myths and legends, such as Talos, a giant bronze automaton, and Pygmalion, who created a sculpture that came to life.

However, the term "artificial intelligence" itself was coined much later. It's often attributed to John McCarthy, who used it in a proposal for the Dartmouth Conference in 1956. This conference is considered a pivotal moment in the history of AI as it brought together leading researchers to discuss the potential of creating machines that could simulate human intelligence.

Early developments in AI research include the work of Alan Turing, who proposed the Turing Test in 1950 as a way to determine a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human. Other significant early contributions came from researchers such as Marvin Minsky, Herbert Simon, and Allen Newell.

The field of AI has since seen numerous advancements, setbacks, and periods of rapid progress, leading to the development of various AI technologies and applications that we see today.