Stanford
University
  • Stanford Home
  • Maps & Directions
  • Search Stanford
  • Emergency Info
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Trademarks
  • Non-Discrimination
  • Accessibility
© Stanford University.  Stanford, California 94305.
Stanford AI’s Legacy Through the Decades | Stanford HAI
Skip to content
  • About

    • About
    • People
    • Get Involved with HAI
    • Support HAI
    • Subscribe to Email
  • Research

    • Research
    • Research Programs
    • Grants
    • Marlowe (opens in new tab)
    • Student Affinity Groups
    • Centers & Labs
    • Research Publications
    • Research Partners
  • Education

    • Education
    • Executive and Professional Education
    • Government and Policymakers
    • K-12
    • Stanford Students
  • Policy

    • Policy
    • Policy Publications
    • Policymaker Education
    • Student Opportunities
  • AI Index

    • AI Index
    • AI Index Report
    • Global Vibrancy Tool
    • People
  • News
  • Events
  • Industry
  • Centers & Labs
Navigate
  • About
  • Events
  • AI Glossary
  • Careers
  • Search
Participate
  • Get Involved
  • Support HAI
  • Contact Us

Stay Up To Date

Get the latest news, advances in research, policy work, and education program updates from HAI in your inbox weekly.

Sign Up For Latest News

news

Stanford AI’s Legacy Through the Decades

Date
April 25, 2022
Topics
Education, Skills

Stanford faculty look back at 50 years of artificial intelligence advances.

Stanford University is one of the pioneers in AI. Legendary computer scientist John McCarthy, credited with coining the term “artificial intelligence,” launched one of the early university AI labs at Stanford in 1965, and by the early 1970s, the university was a hotbed of research in this new field. In this first wave of AI scholarship, faculty were focused on pursuing generality in the models of cognition, and out of Stanford labs came computer-generated music and art, and early robotic arms.

In a second wave of interest in the 1980s, Stanford scholars began experimenting with neural networks, and more recently, deep learning advances that have allowed researchers to develop more sophisticated language learning models and computer vision. 

Today Stanford AI has broadened to a multidisciplinary field, drawing experts in medicine, psychology, economics, law, art, and humanities. 

In this video, Stanford HAI professors Fei-Fei Li, Chris Manning, and others describe the history of Stanford AI and what the future holds for this technology.

Stanford HAI's mission is to advance AI research, education, policy, and practice to improve the human condition. Learn more.

Share
Link copied to clipboard!
Contributor(s)
Stanford HAI Staff

Related News

Want Employees to Embrace AI? Stop Selling It as a Productivity Tool
Dylan Walsh
Oct 07, 2026
News

How managers introduce and support AI determines whether workers engage with or resist the technology.

News

Want Employees to Embrace AI? Stop Selling It as a Productivity Tool

Dylan Walsh
Workforce, LaborGenerative AIEducation, SkillsOct 07

How managers introduce and support AI determines whether workers engage with or resist the technology.

A.I. Doesn’t Have To Mean Layoffs
New York Times
May 29, 2026
Media Mention

Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab and Senior Fellow at Stanford HAI Erik Brynjolfsson discusses the fallacy of thinking "the only way that you get productivity from A.I. is by removing labor costs,” arguing that business can return larger gains through AI use for employees' productivity, rather than replacing workers.

Media Mention
Your browser does not support the video tag.

A.I. Doesn’t Have To Mean Layoffs

New York Times
Economy, MarketsEducation, SkillsWorkforce, LaborMay 29

Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab and Senior Fellow at Stanford HAI Erik Brynjolfsson discusses the fallacy of thinking "the only way that you get productivity from A.I. is by removing labor costs,” arguing that business can return larger gains through AI use for employees' productivity, rather than replacing workers.

Why Stanford Is Restructuring For AI’s Next Era
Shana Lynch
May 04, 2026
News

As artificial intelligence transforms society, Stanford HAI’s James Landay, Fei-Fei Li, and John Hennessy explain why they’re merging HAI with the Stanford Data Science initiative, mobilizing “team science at scale,” and betting that academic openness will shape AI’s future.

News

Why Stanford Is Restructuring For AI’s Next Era

Shana Lynch
Education, SkillsMay 04

As artificial intelligence transforms society, Stanford HAI’s James Landay, Fei-Fei Li, and John Hennessy explain why they’re merging HAI with the Stanford Data Science initiative, mobilizing “team science at scale,” and betting that academic openness will shape AI’s future.