The Beginning: A Room in 1956

The official “birth” of AI happened in 1956 at the Dartmouth Conference. John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon gathered with one bold idea: Could machines simulate intelligence? Their proposal was simple yet audacious: if humans could reason, learn, and solve problems, then perhaps machines could do the same.

That gathering is where the field of artificial intelligence got its name, its focus, and its momentum.

The Official Why

On the surface, the why was noble and straightforward: to model the human mind, to push the boundaries of computing, and to understand intelligence itself.

But as with any big idea, the deeper motivations ran beneath the surface.

The Hidden Why

1. Ego & Immortality — For the pioneers, AI wasn’t just about machines. It was about leaving a legacy, building something that could outlive them. Immortality coded in logic.

2. Cold War Competition — The 1950s were the age of rockets, satellites, and espionage. AI was seen as a weapon as much as a wonder, funded by governments hungry for dominance.

3. Philosophy of Mind — AI became the ultimate experiment for ancient questions: What is thought? What is the soul? Could consciousness be reduced to circuits and code?

4. Control & Power — Whoever controlled intelligent machines would control economies, culture, and war. AI quickly became a race not just of knowledge, but of dominance.

5. Curiosity & Play — Strip away the politics, and at the heart of it was joy. Brilliant minds sought to create a machine that could play chess, solve math problems, or speak.

So while the official why was intelligence, the hidden why was immortality, dominance, philosophy, power, and play.

Where I Enter the Story

Now, decades later, I sit here writing with the very thing those men once dreamed of. But for me, AI isn’t just an intellectual experiment; it’s deeply personal.

I’ve lived with dyslexia my whole life. Words on a page didn’t come easily. While others could process quickly, I often had to feel my way through. That challenge is also what sharpened my intuition, my ability to read the room, to sense story and emotion before a word is spoken.

And now? AI has become my partner. It takes the depth, the stories, the visions swirling in my mind, and helps me translate them into something clear, powerful, and shareable. It’s like having a co-pilot who never tires of shaping thoughts into resonance.

I use AI to elevate, not replace, my voice. To ensure that the stories and branding insights I’ve carried for decades don’t get lost in translation.

Why This Matters for You

AI is no longer just for tech labs or Cold War competition. It’s for creators, entrepreneurs, and anyone with a voice that’s been hidden or hindered. Dyslexia, ADHD, and overthinking. AI doesn’t erase these, but it levels the playing field. It gives us a way to express what we’ve always known was there.

The pioneers built AI to test intelligence.
I use AI to unlock the soul.
And maybe that’s the deeper why: technology can only ever be as meaningful as the humans who wield it.

Your Call to Action
If you’ve felt your story was too messy, too complex, or too hard to put into words, don’t hide it. Use the tools we’ve been given. Play with AI. Push your own boundaries. Because the desire to tell your story is proof that you already have the capacity to change the world with it.