Alan Turing: the pioneer of Artificial Intelligence

More than 100 years after Alan Turing's birth on June 23, 1912, we still reflect on his extraordinary contribution to Artificial Intelligence. Turing is unquestionably among those whose insights and models have contributed to the spread of Artificial Intelligence, which is essential for supporting modern businesses and, indeed, is considered by many to be the father of computer science and Artificial Intelligence.

Commander Alastair Denniston had headed the Government Code and Cypher School since 1919. During his 20-year honored career in the cryptanalytic service, he had seen few new faces, aided by low pay and a less than exciting job.
In the summer of 1938, on the threshold of World War II, Denniston found himself in front of a group of exalted minds, invited to be selected for the greatest espionage work in history. Among them, arriving by ocean liner from overseas, was a mathematician who embodied Denniston's worst fears: Alan Turing.
Many GC&CS colleagues considered mathematicians strange and out of touch with reality, therefore of little use to the cause. Denniston did not yet know that this mathematician would succeed where his majesty's armies would fail.
The team's goal was to decipher the German Enigma communication system. To respond to his adversaries' ciphered messages, Turing developed the Bomb, an electromechanical machine created through collaboration with a group of Polish cryptographers. Starting with fragments of the original cipher text, the machine was able to work out possible solutions to the puzzle, quickly discarding many nonsensical combinations.
Decryption also took place thanks to Colossus, the first electronic programmable computer in history. Consisting of about 100,000 parts, 19 kilometers of cables and 100 numbered cylinders, Colossus succeeded in deciphering German codes, contributing greatly to the defeat of Hitler's U-boat submarines and the turning of the conflict in favor of the Allies.

After World War II, there were evolutions in thinking and computer developments, largely thanks to Turing. In 1950, Turing published the article “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” addressing the most advanced topic of those years: Artificial Intelligence. Formulating a definition was complex, so Turing proposed a test, known as the “Turing Test” or “Imitation Game,” to assess a machine's ability to behave intelligently, that is, “human.” The test involved a judge communicating via a terminal with two entities: a human and a computer. If the judge could not distinguish between the two, the computer was considered “intelligent.” This concept paved the way for the creation of increasingly sophisticated mathematical models and algorithms.

From 1940, the scientific discipline of Artificial Intelligence began to develop concretely. In those years, thanks to a special historical and scientific convergence, important discoveries were made.
Neurology discovered that the internal structure of the brain is composed of a network of neurons that transmit electrochemical impulses. Norbert Wiener developed cybernetic theories of control and stability of electrical networks, Alan Turing the theory of computation, and Claude Shannon the theory of information. Thus the question was born: can an electronic brain be built? From this impulse emerged the idea of a thinking machine, capable of performing human actions, learning and speaking like a human being. Without Turing's reasoning, we probably would not have come this far.
Turing's work laid the foundation for modern Artificial Intelligence. His insights continue to influence and inspire research and innovation, making possible the development of ever more advanced technologies that support businesses and improve our daily lives.