1966
Joseph Weizenbaum creates ELIZA
Joseph Weizenbaum created ELIZA at MITMassachusetts Institute of Technology — a research university central to many computing breakthroughs. in 1966 — a program that simulated conversation by pattern-matching user text, including the DOCTOR Rogerian therapist script.
What it was for
ELIZA fooled some users into attributing understanding to a simple keyword engine — prompting Weizenbaum's later warnings about anthropomorphizing machines. It launched chatbot research and debates about AI deception that continue in modern LLMLarge language model — a neural network trained on vast text to generate and reason about language. guardrails.
People
- Joseph Weizenbaum — creator
Why it's here
ELIZA was the first widely known conversational computer program.
Why it mattered
It showed how little code could mimic dialogue — and why users over-trust machines.
What it solved
Researchers wanted to explore natural-language interaction without real language understanding.
Media
ImageELIZA conversationPublic domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- ChatGPT launchedNovember 30, 2022
- DEC PDP-10 released1966
- Marvin Minsky co-organizes Dartmouth AI workshopAugust 1956