A brief history of AI—and why expectations matter
Wolfgang Messner · 2026
Most executives do not study technology history out of nostalgia. They read it to avoid expensive mistakes. A clear view of the past is one of the strongest tools for shaping the future. Leadership, at its core, involves mobilizing collective action and making sound strategic choices, and history can support both aims. 1 The history of AI is no exception. In fact, it is a particularly sharp case. Here, understanding the past is not an academic indulgence but a core leadership responsibility. Indeed, the technical details of early AI systems matter less than the pattern they reveal because that pattern keeps repeating.