AI history and terminology: if Thomas Hobbes is called the “grandfather” of artificial intelligence, who is widely regarded as the “father” for coining the term and shaping the field?

Introduction / Context:
Titles like “grandfather,” “father,” and “pioneer” are common in historical overviews of artificial intelligence. While many contributed foundational ideas, one computer scientist formally coined the term “Artificial Intelligence” and catalyzed the field with a landmark workshop in the 1950s.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Thomas Hobbes' mechanistic views are sometimes cited as philosophical precursors.
• The question asks for the person commonly called the “father” of AI.
• We consider naming conventions used in mainstream AI histories.

Concept / Approach:
John McCarthy coined the term “Artificial Intelligence” and organized the 1956 Dartmouth Conference, often marked as AI’s birth event. He also created the LISP language and advanced time-sharing and formal reasoning in AI. These achievements underlie the common honorific “father of AI.”

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify the person who named the field and convened the seminal workshop.Link subsequent foundational contributions (LISP, formal logic in AI).Select John McCarthy as the accepted answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Histories consistently attribute the term “AI” and the Dartmouth proposal to McCarthy, with Newell and Simon recognized for early programs (Logic Theorist, General Problem Solver) and Turing for computation theory and the Turing Test concept.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A. M. Turing: foundational figure, but not the person who coined “AI.”

Allen Newell and Herbert Simon: seminal researchers, but the “father” label commonly refers to McCarthy.

None of the above: incorrect per standard usage.

Common Pitfalls:
Equating “most influential” with the specific historical label; multiple figures profoundly shaped AI, but the honorific here points to the origin of the term and institutional formation.

Final Answer:
John McCarthy