Artificial intelligence did not suddenly appear with ChatGPT. It evolved over four decades through advances in computer graphics, game development, machine vision, and parallel computing. Graphics processors, originally built to draw pixels, gradually became programmable computing engines capable of training neural networks and running AI models. JPR followed that evolution from the beginning, covering graphics hardware, GPU computing, machine learning, and AI processors as each technology emerged. Looking back, the progression seems remarkably logical, even if it rarely felt that way at the time.
The first AI many consumers encountered appeared in games. During the mid-1990s, developers programmed enemy behavior with lookup tables, decision trees, and finite-state machines. Characters reacted to player actions, navigated environments, and coordinated attacks through carefully designed logic rather than learning. In 1994, Matrox demonstrated Sentõ, a 3D game that showcased intelligent camera control and game behavior on its Impression Plus graphics board. Those techniques now seem simple, yet they established the principle that software could simulate intelligent behavior.
