By Mona Austin
The logic behind the code running ChatGpt and other AI systems was conceived and derived from the braintrust of HBCU graduate and African American mathematician, David Blackwell. He was the first African American elected to the National Academy of Sciences and later received the National Medal of Science posthumously. A graduate of Clark and Howard universities, Blackwell's mathematical work became important to fields that later contributed to modern AI and machine learning. The level of import of his contribution to the realm of technology has enormous global impact.
- Probability theory
- Statistics
- Bayesian statistics
- Game theory
- Information theory
- Statistical decision theory
- Dynamic programming
AI is essentially the craft of coding machines/technology to use logic to "think" through digital manipulation. While Blackwell is not credited with starting the field of AI, his intellectual real estate is written into the blueprint.
The United States of America is the global leader in AI advancments. Pres. Donald Trump announced at the 2026 UNGA gathering in New York that government agencies are ordered to change AI to SI (Super Intelligence) in its communication. Super Intelligence is a term used to describe aspects of AI. This existing association with technological language shoukd not be confused with pre-existing commercial or trademark use of the word. There is already a SUPERINTELLIGENCE trademark registration/application history associated with AI-related software. A U.S.-origin international trademark was filed with a priority date of July 17, 2025, covering software and AI-related services.
Notably, as President Trump proposes replacing the established term “artificial intelligence” with “super intelligence,” Blackwell's legacy sits directly inside the technology powering that revolution.
Who started artificial intelligence?
There is no single person who “invented AI.” However, Alan Turing, a British mathematician, was an important early intellectual figure whose work influenced modern AI. In 1950, he published "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" and posed the famous question of whether machines could think. In 1956, he organized the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence, which is widely regarded as the founding event of AI as a formal research field.
Other Early contributors included Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon, Nathaniel Rochester and Allen Newell, among others.
Who started artificial intelligence?
There is no single person who “invented AI.” However, Alan Turing, a British mathematician, was an important early intellectual figure whose work influenced modern AI. In 1950, he published "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" and posed the famous question of whether machines could think. In 1956, he organized the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence, which is widely regarded as the founding event of AI as a formal research field.
Other Early contributors included Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon, Nathaniel Rochester and Allen Newell, among others.