Astronomer and planetary scientist Clyde Tombaugh is shown in this candid outdoor portrait, wearing thick-framed glasses, a checkered shirt, and sporting a full white beard. Known for his discovery of Pluto in 1930, Tombaugh made significant contributions to astronomy and planetary science throughout his career.
Astronomer and planetary scientist Clyde Tombaugh is shown in this candid outdoor portrait, wearing thick-framed glasses, a checkered shirt, and sporting a full white beard. Known for his discovery of Pluto in 1930, Tombaugh made significant contributions to astronomy and planetary science throughout his career.

John McCarthy

Historical

Historical

Sep 4, 1927

-

Oct 24, 2011

Astronomer and planetary scientist Clyde Tombaugh is shown in this candid outdoor portrait, wearing thick-framed glasses, a checkered shirt, and sporting a full white beard. Known for his discovery of Pluto in 1930, Tombaugh made significant contributions to astronomy and planetary science throughout his career.

John McCarthy

Historical

Historical

Sep 4, 1927

-

Oct 24, 2011

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

John McCarthy is an American computer scientist considered one of the artificial intelligence leaders. McCarthy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1927, and his childhood was characterized by the Great Depression, during which his family moved around frequently. Both his parents were politically involved and ensured that he got a good education and learned to think critically. McCarthy has been fond of mathematics since his childhood. By the time he was in high school, he had learned college-level mathematics from the textbooks of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He enrolled at Caltech in 1944, continued to do well in mathematics, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1948.

McCarthy got his PhD in mathematics in 1951 from Princeton University and then started his career at Princeton, Stanford, and Dartmouth. His most lasting contribution was made in 1956 when he co-founded the Dartmouth Conference, where the term ‘artificial intelligence’ was first used. McCarthy described AI as “the science and engineering of producing intelligent machines,” a definition that would define the future of computing. He also came up with the programming language known as Lisp in 1958, which, to this date, is used in the field of AI.

McCarthy was not limited to AI only. He pioneered time-sharing systems that enabled several users to access the same computer simultaneously, a forerunner to today’s cloud computing. His other contributions include non-monotonic logic and circumscription, which helped enhance the AI field, especially in reasoning under uncertainty. McCarthy continued to work on research activities even in his post-retirement age, contributed many papers, and supervised many students in AI. He died in 2011, and this generation still feels his contributions to computer science and AI.

Quotes

"The study of intelligence has its roots in artificial systems."

"AI is the science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done by humans."

"You don’t want to examine the basis of your computer’s morality any more than you want to see sausage being made."

"He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense."

"Lisp was invented to solve a problem, but it was so well-suited to AI that it quickly became the language of choice."

"Time-sharing will be the future of computing, where users access powerful computers like public utilities."

"Machines as simple as thermostats can be said to have beliefs, and having beliefs seems to be a characteristic of most machines capable of problem-solving."

"The human mind can be mechanized, and AI is the attempt to make that a reality."

"Solving problems is the essence of intelligence, and AI systems must be able to do this as well as humans."

"Computers are tools for extending the intellectual power of humans."

"AI is not just a branch of science but a new way of thinking about intelligence."

"Logic is the foundation of intelligence, and AI must be grounded in logic."

"Intelligence requires reasoning, and reasoning must be based on facts and logic."

"Common sense reasoning is the most challenging problem in AI."

"We must build machines that can reason about the world and take appropriate actions."

FAQ

What did John McCarthy contribute?

John McCarthy is a computer scientist who coined the term Artificial Intelligence and created the Lisp language.

What was the Dartmouth Conference?

McCarthy and other researchers declared AI a field of study at the Dartmouth Conference in 1956.

What is Lisp?

McCarthy created Lisp, a programming language intended for use in AI, in 1958. It is famous for its ability to work with symbolic expressions.

What is the reason behind the title "the father of AI" given to McCarthy?

He is often called the father of AI because he named the field, held the first conferences, and made essential contributions to AI languages and paradigms.

What is time-sharing, and what did McCarthy do in this regard?

Time-sharing is dividing the computer system between two or more users to allow them to access the computer simultaneously. McCarthy’s work in this area can be considered the foundation of modern cloud computing.

What is non-monotonic reasoning?

McCarthy’s work in the 1960s with time-sharing is seen as an early form of cloud computing, where resources are shared and made available over the Internet.

What were the impacts of McCarthy on cloud computing?

McCarthy’s work in the 1960s with time-sharing is seen as an early form of cloud computing, where resources are shared and made available over the Internet.

What accolades did McCarthy get?

McCarthy was honored with several important awards in his career, such as the Turing Award in 1971, the Kyoto Prize in 1988, and the National Medal of Science in 1990.

What is meant by the term Advice Taker?

The Advice Taker was an early AI project proposed by McCarthy. Its goal was to develop a system that could reason and decide based on knowledge and advice.

What was McCarthy’s vision of the future of AI?

McCarthy also thought that AI could one day have the ability to reason like humans, but obstacles still need to be overcome.

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

John McCarthy is an American computer scientist considered one of the artificial intelligence leaders. McCarthy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1927, and his childhood was characterized by the Great Depression, during which his family moved around frequently. Both his parents were politically involved and ensured that he got a good education and learned to think critically. McCarthy has been fond of mathematics since his childhood. By the time he was in high school, he had learned college-level mathematics from the textbooks of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He enrolled at Caltech in 1944, continued to do well in mathematics, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1948.

McCarthy got his PhD in mathematics in 1951 from Princeton University and then started his career at Princeton, Stanford, and Dartmouth. His most lasting contribution was made in 1956 when he co-founded the Dartmouth Conference, where the term ‘artificial intelligence’ was first used. McCarthy described AI as “the science and engineering of producing intelligent machines,” a definition that would define the future of computing. He also came up with the programming language known as Lisp in 1958, which, to this date, is used in the field of AI.

McCarthy was not limited to AI only. He pioneered time-sharing systems that enabled several users to access the same computer simultaneously, a forerunner to today’s cloud computing. His other contributions include non-monotonic logic and circumscription, which helped enhance the AI field, especially in reasoning under uncertainty. McCarthy continued to work on research activities even in his post-retirement age, contributed many papers, and supervised many students in AI. He died in 2011, and this generation still feels his contributions to computer science and AI.

Quotes

"The study of intelligence has its roots in artificial systems."

"AI is the science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done by humans."

"You don’t want to examine the basis of your computer’s morality any more than you want to see sausage being made."

"He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense."

"Lisp was invented to solve a problem, but it was so well-suited to AI that it quickly became the language of choice."

"Time-sharing will be the future of computing, where users access powerful computers like public utilities."

"Machines as simple as thermostats can be said to have beliefs, and having beliefs seems to be a characteristic of most machines capable of problem-solving."

"The human mind can be mechanized, and AI is the attempt to make that a reality."

"Solving problems is the essence of intelligence, and AI systems must be able to do this as well as humans."

"Computers are tools for extending the intellectual power of humans."

"AI is not just a branch of science but a new way of thinking about intelligence."

"Logic is the foundation of intelligence, and AI must be grounded in logic."

"Intelligence requires reasoning, and reasoning must be based on facts and logic."

"Common sense reasoning is the most challenging problem in AI."

"We must build machines that can reason about the world and take appropriate actions."

FAQ

What did John McCarthy contribute?

John McCarthy is a computer scientist who coined the term Artificial Intelligence and created the Lisp language.

What was the Dartmouth Conference?

McCarthy and other researchers declared AI a field of study at the Dartmouth Conference in 1956.

What is Lisp?

McCarthy created Lisp, a programming language intended for use in AI, in 1958. It is famous for its ability to work with symbolic expressions.

What is the reason behind the title "the father of AI" given to McCarthy?

He is often called the father of AI because he named the field, held the first conferences, and made essential contributions to AI languages and paradigms.

What is time-sharing, and what did McCarthy do in this regard?

Time-sharing is dividing the computer system between two or more users to allow them to access the computer simultaneously. McCarthy’s work in this area can be considered the foundation of modern cloud computing.

What is non-monotonic reasoning?

McCarthy’s work in the 1960s with time-sharing is seen as an early form of cloud computing, where resources are shared and made available over the Internet.

What were the impacts of McCarthy on cloud computing?

McCarthy’s work in the 1960s with time-sharing is seen as an early form of cloud computing, where resources are shared and made available over the Internet.

What accolades did McCarthy get?

McCarthy was honored with several important awards in his career, such as the Turing Award in 1971, the Kyoto Prize in 1988, and the National Medal of Science in 1990.

What is meant by the term Advice Taker?

The Advice Taker was an early AI project proposed by McCarthy. Its goal was to develop a system that could reason and decide based on knowledge and advice.

What was McCarthy’s vision of the future of AI?

McCarthy also thought that AI could one day have the ability to reason like humans, but obstacles still need to be overcome.

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

John McCarthy is an American computer scientist considered one of the artificial intelligence leaders. McCarthy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1927, and his childhood was characterized by the Great Depression, during which his family moved around frequently. Both his parents were politically involved and ensured that he got a good education and learned to think critically. McCarthy has been fond of mathematics since his childhood. By the time he was in high school, he had learned college-level mathematics from the textbooks of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He enrolled at Caltech in 1944, continued to do well in mathematics, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1948.

McCarthy got his PhD in mathematics in 1951 from Princeton University and then started his career at Princeton, Stanford, and Dartmouth. His most lasting contribution was made in 1956 when he co-founded the Dartmouth Conference, where the term ‘artificial intelligence’ was first used. McCarthy described AI as “the science and engineering of producing intelligent machines,” a definition that would define the future of computing. He also came up with the programming language known as Lisp in 1958, which, to this date, is used in the field of AI.

McCarthy was not limited to AI only. He pioneered time-sharing systems that enabled several users to access the same computer simultaneously, a forerunner to today’s cloud computing. His other contributions include non-monotonic logic and circumscription, which helped enhance the AI field, especially in reasoning under uncertainty. McCarthy continued to work on research activities even in his post-retirement age, contributed many papers, and supervised many students in AI. He died in 2011, and this generation still feels his contributions to computer science and AI.

Quotes

"The study of intelligence has its roots in artificial systems."

"AI is the science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done by humans."

"You don’t want to examine the basis of your computer’s morality any more than you want to see sausage being made."

"He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense."

"Lisp was invented to solve a problem, but it was so well-suited to AI that it quickly became the language of choice."

"Time-sharing will be the future of computing, where users access powerful computers like public utilities."

"Machines as simple as thermostats can be said to have beliefs, and having beliefs seems to be a characteristic of most machines capable of problem-solving."

"The human mind can be mechanized, and AI is the attempt to make that a reality."

"Solving problems is the essence of intelligence, and AI systems must be able to do this as well as humans."

"Computers are tools for extending the intellectual power of humans."

"AI is not just a branch of science but a new way of thinking about intelligence."

"Logic is the foundation of intelligence, and AI must be grounded in logic."

"Intelligence requires reasoning, and reasoning must be based on facts and logic."

"Common sense reasoning is the most challenging problem in AI."

"We must build machines that can reason about the world and take appropriate actions."

FAQ

What did John McCarthy contribute?

John McCarthy is a computer scientist who coined the term Artificial Intelligence and created the Lisp language.

What was the Dartmouth Conference?

McCarthy and other researchers declared AI a field of study at the Dartmouth Conference in 1956.

What is Lisp?

McCarthy created Lisp, a programming language intended for use in AI, in 1958. It is famous for its ability to work with symbolic expressions.

What is the reason behind the title "the father of AI" given to McCarthy?

He is often called the father of AI because he named the field, held the first conferences, and made essential contributions to AI languages and paradigms.

What is time-sharing, and what did McCarthy do in this regard?

Time-sharing is dividing the computer system between two or more users to allow them to access the computer simultaneously. McCarthy’s work in this area can be considered the foundation of modern cloud computing.

What is non-monotonic reasoning?

McCarthy’s work in the 1960s with time-sharing is seen as an early form of cloud computing, where resources are shared and made available over the Internet.

What were the impacts of McCarthy on cloud computing?

McCarthy’s work in the 1960s with time-sharing is seen as an early form of cloud computing, where resources are shared and made available over the Internet.

What accolades did McCarthy get?

McCarthy was honored with several important awards in his career, such as the Turing Award in 1971, the Kyoto Prize in 1988, and the National Medal of Science in 1990.

What is meant by the term Advice Taker?

The Advice Taker was an early AI project proposed by McCarthy. Its goal was to develop a system that could reason and decide based on knowledge and advice.

What was McCarthy’s vision of the future of AI?

McCarthy also thought that AI could one day have the ability to reason like humans, but obstacles still need to be overcome.

Life and achievements

Early life

John McCarthy was born in Boston on September 4, 1927, to a family that was very much involved in politics. His father, John Patrick McCarthy, was an Irish immigrant and a labour union leader, while his mother, Ida Glatt McCarthy, was of Lithuanian Jewish origin. Their parents were members of the Communist Party but supported critical thinking and education. McCarthy’s childhood was full of moves owing to the Great Depression, but McCarthy’s curiosity and love for learning never suffered. From an early age, he became interested in science, reading popular science books and learning mathematics independently.

At 17, McCarthy joined Caltech and proved his mathematical prowess. He could exempt the first two years of his math classes by reading math books by himself. He left Caltech for some time but returned to the same university to finish his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1948. His love for mathematics and logic made him join the Ph.D. program at Princeton University, and his supervisor was the mathematician Donald C. Spencer. In his academic career, McCarthy was driven by the need to know the basis of Artificial and human intelligence.

Legacy

John McCarthy has significantly impacted computer science, especially artificial intelligence and interactive computing. He also developed Lisp, a programming language that significantly changed AI. Lisp could work with symbols, which are very important for AI; therefore, it was the language of choice for all AI applications in the 1960s and 1970s. Aside from Lisp, McCarthy’s work in time-sharing systems paved the way for the current computing paradigm, such as the cloud. His early vision of computation as a service, where users could similarly purchase computing power as they buy water from a municipal water supply, was visionary, given the development of distributed computing and the Internet.

McCarthy’s work also involved philosophical discussions regarding machines' intelligence and thinking. He thought that AI systems could be made to feel like human beings, come up with solutions to problems, and arrive at conclusions. His contribution to AI in handling fundamental real-world uncertainty through his work on circumscription, a technique for handling incomplete information and non-monotonic reasoning, cannot be overemphasized. McCarthy’s vision of AI was not only in terms of technical issues; he considered it as a philosophical question of what intelligence is.

Over the years, McCarthy has been honoured for his contributions to computer science. In 1971, he received the Turing Award for his contribution to Artificial Intelligence, and in 1990, he received the National Medal of Science. This is still the case, as artificial intelligence is still an ongoing development that impacts society. McCarthy’s idea of artificial intelligence, which can reason and learn, is still a significant field focus, and his contributions are still relevant today.

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Your donation today shapes the future of how families and friends connect.
You will become a featured Ambassador.
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Milestone moments

Mar 20, 1956

The Dartmouth Conference and the Emergence of Artificial Intelligence.
In the summer of 1956, John McCarthy co-organized the Dartmouth Conference, which considered the starting point of artificial intelligence as a distinct academic discipline.
McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon and other researchers believed that intelligence could be embodied in machines and hence developed machines that can work like human beings.
During the conference, AI was born, with McCarthy defining AI as the “science and engineering of making intelligent machines.”

This milestone can be considered a basis for the further development of AI for the next several decades, making McCarthy one of the leaders of the field and determining the development of computing.

May 15, 1958

The History of Lisp Programming Language.
McCarthy, in 1958, developed Lisp, a programming language for artificial intelligence.
Lisp brought the symbolic computation paradigm, meaning that data can be processed in the way humans think.
Lisp soon became the most popular language for implementing AI systems and is still popular today.

This innovation enabled scientists to advance the creation of more sophisticated AI systems, which made Lisp the fundamental language of AI during the 1960s and subsequent years.

Aug 14, 1961

Time-Sharing and Utility Computing
In 1961, McCarthy came up with the idea of time sharing, where several users could share a single computer at the same time.
He proposed that computing power could be provided to users as a public service on an as-needed basis, similar to water or electricity.
McCarthy’s vision was quite prophetic, given that he envisioned the cloud computing model in which users share resources via the Internet.

This revolutionary concept changed the use of computers, making it easier for more people to understand and use them daily.
It also encouraged more developments in the area.

Dec 11, 1971

Turing Award for Contributions in the Field of Artificial Intelligence.
In 1971, McCarthy was awarded the Turing Prize for his early contributions to artificial intelligence and programming languages.
This award was for his contribution to AI, his work in Lisp, and other contributions to computer science.

This achievement proved McCarthy was one of the leading specialists in the sphere of computer science and underlined the value of his contributions to the development of the AI field.

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