Historically, which computer generation is most closely associated with the emergence and popularization of artificial intelligence as a formal objective (often labeled the “knowledge-based” or “AI” generation)?

Introduction / Context:
Computer generations are often described in terms of foundational technologies and goals: vacuum tubes (first), transistors (second), integrated circuits (third), microprocessors (fourth), and knowledge-based/AI ambitions (fifth). The fifth generation became associated with explicit attempts to advance AI, expert systems, and logic programming at scale.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks for the generation historically linked with AI as an explicit design goal.
• We consider widely taught categorizations used in curricula.
• We focus on the generation label rather than granular historical nuance.

Concept / Approach:
The “fifth generation” label gained prominence with national initiatives (e.g., logic-based computers, expert systems, knowledge representation) and the broader AI boom. While AI research appeared earlier, the fifth generation explicitly emphasized AI and knowledge processing as central targets rather than incidental applications.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard computer history summaries and exam prep materials associate fifth-generation narratives with AI and knowledge-based systems, corroborating this choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Second/Third/Fourth: foundational technology shifts, but AI was not the defining banner.
• None: incorrect because fifth is the accepted answer in this framework.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming AI started only in the fifth generation; in fact, research began earlier, but the generational label links AI as a flagship objective to the fifth.

Final Answer:
Fifth