“But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things?” – Job 12:3

As I look back on my Ph.D. thesis in Statistics and Operational Research, entitled “Experimental Procedures for finding optimum conditions” which I defended in 1968 (over 57 years ago) at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, England, I am struck by the prescience of my work.

Long before the term Artificial intelligence (AI) became a buzzword, I was leveraging algorithms and high-speed computers to tackle complex problems that would later become the hallmark of the AI field.

When the traditional analytical mathematical approaches to problem solving failed, in all but simple cases, we had to resort to solutions by computer simulation.

My research involved expressing experimental search procedures (subject to random variation), as algorithms, which were then executed on computers to find comparative solutions. This approach, though not labelled as AI at the time, embodies the very principles that underpin the field today.

Artificial intelligence is a technology that enables computers to learn, reason and interact like humans, performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, problem-solving and decision-making. The two crucial components that drove my research – algorithms and computer power – are now recognized as the backbone of AI.

Algorithms provide step-by-step instructions for processing data and achieving specific goals, while computer power brings these systems to life.

In addition, computer simulations and AI are increasingly interconnected, with each technology enhancing the other. Simulations use AI to improve speed and accuracy, while AI relies on simulation-generated data to train and validate its models, creating a powerful synergy where AI can build, debug and calibrate simulations, while simulations provide a training ground for AI algorithms to learn and improve.

In essence, my Ph.D. thesis was an early application of AI principles. I was using the “brains” of algorithms and the “brawn” of computer power to solve complex problems, laying the groundwork for the AI systems that would follow. I’m proud to have been an unknowing pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence.

(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is a corporate governance adviser. His email address is basilgf@marketplaceexcellence.com. His columns may be found at https://www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com.)