who invented artificial intelligence software

That's an excellent question that gets to the heart of how we define "invention" in a field as collaborative as computer science. The short answer is: There is no single person who invented "artificial intelligence software." The development of AI software was a gradual process, built upon the work of many pioneers over decades. However, we can point to the key individuals and projects that created the first true AI software programs. Heres a breakdown of the most important contributors and what they invented. The "Fathers" of AI as a Field Before the first software, the concept of AI was formalized at a famous workshop. John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon are credited with coining the term "Artificial Intelligence" in 1956 at the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence. This event is widely considered the official birth of AI as a field of study. McCarthy is often called the "Father of AI." The Inventors of the First AI Software Programs The first working AI software programs were created immediately following the Dartmouth conference. Allen Newell, Cliff Shaw, and Herbert A. Simon (1955-1956) What they invented: Logic Theorist (LT) . This is almost universally considered the first true artificial intelligence program in history. What it did: It was designed to prove mathematical theorems from Principia Mathematica by Whitehead and Russell. It could think symbolically, not just calculate numbers. Significance: It was a working demonstration of a machine performing a task that required human-like reasoning. It proved that computers could do more than just arithmetic. John McCarthy (1958-1960) What he invented: Lisp (List Processing) and the Advice Taker. - Lisp is a programming language specifically designed for AI research. It was the dominant language for AI for decades and is still in use today. He invented the tool for AI software. - Advice Taker was a conceptual program that was the first to propose the idea of a knowledge base and a general problem solver. It was an early influence on expert systems and modern AI architectures. Significance: Lisp made AI programming possible; the Advice Taker laid the groundwork for knowledge-based AI. Other Foundational Contributions Marvin Minsky (MIT): Co-author of the first neural network machine, the SNARC (Stochastic Neural Analog Reinforcement Calculator) in 1951 (a hardware machine, not software). He later wrote seminal papers on symbolic AI and perception. Frank Rosenblatt (1957): Invented the Perceptron, a software and hardware system that was one of the first neural networks for computers. It could learn to recognize patterns (like letters). This is a direct ancestor of modern deep learning. Arthur Samuel (1952-1959): While at IBM, he wrote one of the first self-learning programs, a checkers-playing program. He first coined the term "Machine Learning." Summary Table: Who Invented What? Inventor(s) Year(s) Invention Significance : : : : Newell, Shaw, Simon 1955-56 Logic Theorist The first AI program. Proved mathematical theorems. John McCarthy 1958 Lisp programming language The primary tool for creating AI software for decades. Arthur Samuel 1952-59 Checkers-playing program First self-learning program; coined "Machine Learning." Frank Rosenblatt 1957 The Perceptron First artificial neural network for a computer. McCarthy, Minsky, et al. 1956 The Term "AI" Founded AI as an official academic field. So, who should you credit? If you mean who invented the concept: Credit John McCarthy and the Dartmouth group. If you mean who wrote the first running AI software: Credit Allen Newell, Cliff Shaw, and Herbert A. Simon for the Logic Theorist. If you mean who invented the tool to write AI software: Credit John McCarthy for Lisp. Ultimately, AI software wasn't "invented" by one person. It was a collaborative invention born from a specific historical moment.