Arthur Samuel's Checkers: The First Learning Program
Waits: Arthur Samuel's Checkers
Arthur Samuel, a pioneer in artificial intelligence, developed a checkers-playing program in the 1950s that could learn from its mistakes. Starting with raw machine code on IBM's 70x series, his program evolved to challenge master players using techniques like minimax and alpha-beta pruning. Samuel's work, showcased on TV and at the Dartmouth workshop, influenced early AI research. After retiring from IBM, he ported the program to PDP-10 and later adapted it for the VideoBrain home console, demonstrating his enduring passion for the game.
It was not until 1954, with the advent of the IBM 704 that my program was able to play an interesting game. My contribution was to add learning to the program, and I believe that I can claim a first for this.