Historical foundations of AI: which Stanford University professor coined the term “artificial intelligence” in 1956 at the Dartmouth Conference?

Introduction / Context:
The Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence (1956) is widely considered the birth of AI as a formal academic discipline. The proposal and gathering set the agenda for decades, framing AI as the study of making machines perform tasks that would require intelligence if done by humans.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Date and event: 1956, Dartmouth Conference.
• Task: identify the Stanford professor who coined “artificial intelligence.”
• Several prominent computing figures are listed as distractors.

Concept / Approach:
John McCarthy, then at Dartmouth and later at Stanford, coined the term “artificial intelligence” and co-organized the conference with Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon. He later contributed LISP and time-sharing concepts, cementing his influence on AI’s trajectory.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
AI histories consistently cite McCarthy as the term’s originator. Stanford CS and AI Lab retrospectives also attribute the coinage to him.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Joseph Weizenbaum: created ELIZA (1960s), not the AI term.
• David Levy and Hans Berliner: prominent in computer chess, not in naming AI.
• None of the above: incorrect because McCarthy is correct.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing AI pioneers’ distinct contributions; mixing the Dartmouth organizers with other contemporaries.

Final Answer:
John McCarthy