Preface

The story of human intelligence is a tale of creation and creativity. It didn't begin with circuits, code, and algorithms, but with the brain - a complex neural network that has evolved over millions of years.

This same brain conceived the myth of Pygmalion, an ancient Greek sculptor who, captivated by his statue's beauty and realism, begged the gods to bring it to life. His wish was granted, and the statue, Galatea, came alive. The concept of creating another being has always intrigued humans. The work of the 8th-century alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyan, is evidence of this intrigue. He aimed to create a homunculus, a miniature human, through alchemical practices. "Takwin", the artificial creation of life, was a central theme in the Ismaili philosophy of that era. In the 12th century, the polymath engineer Al-Jazari designed automata that replicated the movements of living creatures, driven by the same desire that inspired Pygmalion and Jabir ibn Hayyan: to animate the inanimate.

AI enthusiasts believe thoughts can be mechanized and the human brain can be replicated. They are motivated by the same desire that inspired ancient myths, philosophers, alchemists, and engineers: breathing life into machines. The quest to create an artificial being that can think, learn, and act like a human has been a driving force behind AI research.

At its core, the human brain is a network of neurons communicating using electrical and chemical signals. Recent neurology studies have revealed the brain as an electrical grid of neurons emitting absolute pulses.