1973Peer-reviewedWell documented
The First AI Winter
On the timeline · around 1973 ·
What happened
After years of grand promises that failed to materialize, the British government's 1973 Lighthill Report concluded that AI research had not delivered its promised breakthroughs. Funding was slashed in Britain and the United States, ushering in a prolonged downturn known as an 'AI winter.'
Why it matters
The first AI winter showed a recurring pattern of hype followed by disillusionment that would shape the field's boom-and-bust history.