If you think that Artificial Intelligence was recently invented, think again. The roots of AI go back decades, centuries, even to ancient mythology. So how did AI go from myth to reality?

In this, the first of a special two-part episode, we present a brief history of AI. We start with the first imagined robot in ancient Greece, fast-forward to Alan Turing’s groundbreaking work in computer science and then to the seminal 1956 summer workshop at Dartmouth College where the term “artificial intelligence” was coined. At that workshop, two Carnegie Mellon University professors, Herbert A. Simon and Allen Newell, presented what is considered the first artificial intelligence program and the “birth” of the AI industry. We’ll hear from a few of the other early AI pioneers at CMU as they share personal stories and milestones in AI and robot development while discussing the societal impact of AI.

In part two, our season finale, we look to the future… and hear from these pioneers and more about where they think – and hope – What’s Next for AI, while discussing the need for guardrails and ethics around AI development.

Joining us are: Tom Mitchell, CMU Founders University Professor; Dr. Raj Reddy, Moza Bint Nasser University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics in the School of Computer Science at CMU; and Dr. Manuela Veloso, the head of JP Morgan AI Research and the Herbert A. Simon University Professor Emeritus in the School of Computer Science at CMU.

What if paleontologists could create robot replicas of dinosaurs to better understand them – and how they moved – and in turn learn more about us?

In this episode, we’re talking about the intersection of paleontology, robotics, and artificial intelligence. That includes paleobionics… an emerging field at Carnegie Mellon University – that uses robotics and soft robotics to help scientists better understand how dinosaurs and other extinct organisms might have moved. Not only could this lead to new discoveries about dinosaur behavior and evolution, it also could provide new understandings on how we, as humans, move while helping engineers design more agile robots that move better through our world. We’ll meet some of the scientists building these new robots based on fossil records of extinct organisms such as the pleurocystid, an ancient ancestor of the starfish and sea urchin, and the gorgonopsid, a strange dinosaur that’s part mammal, part reptile.

And could paleobionic scientists someday build a working, life size Tyrannosaurus Rex? Let’s find out.

Joining us are: Dr. Aja Mia Carter, postdoctoral researcher working with Carnegie Mellon University’s Robomechanics Lab; Carmel Majidi, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CMU; and Aaron Johnson, Associate Professor of mechanical engineering and robotics at CMU and faculty for the University's Robomechanics Lab.

What if a robot could be a compassionate companion - an antidote to loneliness as we age – and in some cases – help those suffering from dementia?

Loneliness among the elderly has become something of an epidemic. According to a recent national survey, about 37 % of American adults aged 50 to 80 experienced loneliness, and about 34% of respondents said they felt socially isolated. Companion robots have the potential to alleviate loneliness and improve the well-being of these older adults as well as help those suffering from memory loss from dementia or Alzheimer’s. They can converse about daily activities, connect to new friends around the country, lead workout sessions, suggest and place calls to loved ones, provide gentle reminders for taking medicines, play music, suggest what's for dinner, and even host live bingo games.

In this episode, which is Part 2 of a two-part episode on robots and health care, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for developing companion robots to help the elderly with loneliness. We also meet ElliQ, an AI-powered companion robot that is already being used in thousands of older adults' homes. The future of companion robots may involve using softbotic technologies to create anthropomorphic features and lifelike physical interaction.

Joining us in part two are four experts in robotics and the elderly: Carmel Majidi, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University; Selma Šabanović, Professor of Informatics and Cognitive Science and Director of R-House Lab at Indiana University Bloomington; David Crandall, Professor of Computer Sciences and Director of the Luddy Artificial Intelligence Center at Indiana University Bloomington; and Assaf Gad, VP Strategy and GM for Intuition Robotics.