An Exploratory study on Origin of AI: Journey through the Ancient Indian Texts & other technological descriptions, its past, present & future

Abstract

For the modern world and our present civilization the invention of the first programmable digital computer taken place in the 1940s, a machine based on mathematical reasoning, this  knowledge & ideas inspired few scientists to seriously think of building Artificial Intelligence. The modern world also knows that a British Polymath, Alan Turing in the year 1950, suggested the concept of decision science, artificial intelligence and machines solving the real world problems. The first commercial, digital & programmable robot was made by Geroge Devol in 1954, the field of AI research was founded at a workshop held on the campus of Dartmouth College during the summer of 1956. But modern world is not aware of the origin of Artificial Intelligence (AI) began back in 8000 to 11000 years, with myths, stories and rumors of artificial beings endowed with intelligence or consciousness by ancient Rishis of India. The seeds of modern AI were planted by classical philosophers who attempted to describe the process of human thinking as the mechanical manipulation of symbols. This work culminated through Knowledge and ideas on many of the technological advancement that we are witnessing today had already been articulated in holy books of Hinduism like The Ramayana, The Mahabharata, The Bhagawatgeeta, The Vedas & Upanishads which were believed to be written 5000 to 8000 years ago (3000 BC – 6000 BC). Those are not only the holy epics of Hindu civilization but the proof of the existence of India. The contents of the Ancient Indian Texts written in Oldest language of human existence ‘The Sanskrit’ also viewed as ‘Natural Language’ from modern scientific point of view. Elements of modern science present in the Upanishads and Advaita Siddhanta and the nature of maya resembles modern scientific awareness. This awareness is further used in understanding human mental processes and the ways to model them contributing to the natural language comprehension field of artificial intelligence. Vedic concepts are suitable as well as necessary for an efficient lead and the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The concept is to bound the man-made machines with the ideology described in the Vedic scriptures, to build a better and smarter world with better machines. Natural language processing with natural language inputs and outputs provides a better human-machine interface. This paper explores origin of the concept of Artificial Intelligence and its existence in ancient Indian Texts and other technological description with modern scientific proofs of them; also reviews Sanskrit language as a possible natural language input to computers.