How Artificial Intelligence Was Programmed

An illustrated inventions story from Wonder Inventions — free to read, with narration.

How Artificial Intelligence Was Programmed — an illustrated inventions story, set in Global. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

How Artificial Intelligence Was Programmed — book cover — Wonder Inventions
How Artificial Intelligence Was Programmed — an illustrated inventions story, set in Global. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

Page 1

The Great Treehouse School hummed with the excitement of a new spring. Kaya bounced on her toes, watching honeybees flit between the blooming branches that…
The Great Treehouse School hummed with the excitement of a new spring. Kaya bounced on her toes, watching honeybees flit between the blooming branches that formed their classroom walls. "Grandma Sama, look!" she exclaimed, pointing to a particularly plump bee covered in pollen. Sama chuckled, adjusting her glasses. "They're quite busy little engineers, aren't they?"

The Great Treehouse School hummed with the excitement of a new spring. Kaya bounced on her toes, watching honeybees flit between the blooming branches that formed their classroom walls. "Grandma Sama, look!" she exclaimed, pointing to a particularly plump bee covered in pollen. Sama chuckled, adjusting her glasses. "They're quite busy little engineers, aren't they?"

Page 2

"Engineers build things," Kaya said, tilting her head. "Like...like our communication devices?" Sama nodded. "Exactly. You know, even our smart-slates need to…
"Engineers build things," Kaya said, tilting her head. "Like...like our communication devices?" Sama nodded. "Exactly. You know, even our smart-slates need to be told what to do. Someone had to program them." Kaya's eyes widened with curiosity. "Program? Who taught them? How did people learn to even make the first one?" she asked, already grabbing her worn leather notebook from her lap.

"Engineers build things," Kaya said, tilting her head. "Like...like our communication devices?" Sama nodded. "Exactly. You know, even our smart-slates need to be told what to do. Someone had to program them." Kaya's eyes widened with curiosity. "Program? Who taught them? How did people learn to even make the first one?" she asked, already grabbing her worn leather notebook from her lap.

Page 3

Sama smiled. "That's a question for your Magical Invention Encyclopedia, my dear." Kaya gasped and raced towards her bedroom, a cozy space tucked within a…
Sama smiled. "That's a question for your Magical Invention Encyclopedia, my dear." Kaya gasped and raced towards her bedroom, a cozy space tucked within a hollow branch. On her bookshelf sat the ancient book, its leather cover glowing faintly. As Kaya reached for it, she recalled the words of Leonardo da Vinci: "'Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses. Especially learn how to see.

Sama smiled. "That's a question for your Magical Invention Encyclopedia, my dear." Kaya gasped and raced towards her bedroom, a cozy space tucked within a hollow branch. On her bookshelf sat the ancient book, its leather cover glowing faintly. As Kaya reached for it, she recalled the words of Leonardo da Vinci: "'Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses. Especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.' It's the perfect quote for finding out how AI was developed!"

Page 4

A whirlwind of light deposited Kaya in a bustling workshop, circa 1956. Vacuum tubes hummed and wires snaked across cluttered tables.
A whirlwind of light deposited Kaya in a bustling workshop, circa 1956. Vacuum tubes hummed and wires snaked across cluttered tables. A woman with twin braids of sandy-brown hair, Dana, meticulously adjusted a complex circuit board. "Careful with that vacuum tube, young lady!" Dana called out, not looking up. "These cost a small fortune."

A whirlwind of light deposited Kaya in a bustling workshop, circa 1956. Vacuum tubes hummed and wires snaked across cluttered tables. A woman with twin braids of sandy-brown hair, Dana, meticulously adjusted a complex circuit board. "Careful with that vacuum tube, young lady!" Dana called out, not looking up. "These cost a small fortune."

Page 5

Kaya's eyes widened. "Are you...building a computer?" Dana finally looked up, surprised. "Well, trying to! This is the TX-2 at Lincoln Labs.
Kaya's eyes widened. "Are you...building a computer?" Dana finally looked up, surprised. "Well, trying to! This is the TX-2 at Lincoln Labs. It's going to be revolutionary. We will be able to use it to design graphics as well as do calculations! But it's proving tricky!" Dana sighed, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "Programming it is like teaching a very stubborn student."

Kaya's eyes widened. "Are you...building a computer?" Dana finally looked up, surprised. "Well, trying to! This is the TX-2 at Lincoln Labs. It's going to be revolutionary. We will be able to use it to design graphics as well as do calculations! But it's proving tricky!" Dana sighed, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "Programming it is like teaching a very stubborn student."

Page 6

"But how do you teach it anything?" Kaya asked, flipping open her notebook. Dana pointed to a stack of punch cards. "We feed it instructions one at a time, like…
"But how do you teach it anything?" Kaya asked, flipping open her notebook. Dana pointed to a stack of punch cards. "We feed it instructions one at a time, like writing a very, very long story. Each hole tells the computer to do something different. Before the TX-2, machines could only perform one task at a time! The ENIAC machine cost around 500,000 in 1946. What a price!" Kaya scribbled furiously, "So, early AI was really just...carefully written instructions?"

"But how do you teach it anything?" Kaya asked, flipping open her notebook. Dana pointed to a stack of punch cards. "We feed it instructions one at a time, like writing a very, very long story. Each hole tells the computer to do something different. Before the TX-2, machines could only perform one task at a time! The ENIAC machine cost around 500,000 in 1946. What a price!" Kaya scribbled furiously, "So, early AI was really just...carefully written instructions?"

Page 7

Dana nodded. "Precisely! It's all about logic and sequences. The invention of time-sharing allowed multiple programmers to utilize the expensive and large…
Dana nodded. "Precisely! It's all about logic and sequences. The invention of time-sharing allowed multiple programmers to utilize the expensive and large machines at once. But even today, AI still needs to be told what to do. Only now, instead of punch cards, we have complex lines of code. In 2023, the AI market was valued at over 450 billion!" Kaya gasped. "That's incredible!"

Dana nodded. "Precisely! It's all about logic and sequences. The invention of time-sharing allowed multiple programmers to utilize the expensive and large machines at once. But even today, AI still needs to be told what to do. Only now, instead of punch cards, we have complex lines of code. In 2023, the AI market was valued at over 450 billion!" Kaya gasped. "That's incredible!"

Page 8

Suddenly, a loud alarm blared. "Oh no! The program's stuck in a loop!" Dana exclaimed, rushing to the console. "It's repeating the same instruction over and…
Suddenly, a loud alarm blared. "Oh no! The program's stuck in a loop!" Dana exclaimed, rushing to the console. "It's repeating the same instruction over and over!" Kaya remembered something from her Encyclopedia about early debugging techniques. "Try flipping the switch on panel seven, the one marked 'CLEAR'!" she shouted. "I read that they used to do that to break endless loops!"

Suddenly, a loud alarm blared. "Oh no! The program's stuck in a loop!" Dana exclaimed, rushing to the console. "It's repeating the same instruction over and over!" Kaya remembered something from her Encyclopedia about early debugging techniques. "Try flipping the switch on panel seven, the one marked 'CLEAR'!" she shouted. "I read that they used to do that to break endless loops!"

Page 9

Dana, desperate, flipped the switch. The alarm stopped. The computer whirred, then fell silent. Dana stared at the output screen, then let out a whoop of joy.
Dana, desperate, flipped the switch. The alarm stopped. The computer whirred, then fell silent. Dana stared at the output screen, then let out a whoop of joy. "It worked! You saved the program! Thank you!" A wave of shimmering light enveloped Kaya, signaling her return.

Dana, desperate, flipped the switch. The alarm stopped. The computer whirred, then fell silent. Dana stared at the output screen, then let out a whoop of joy. "It worked! You saved the program! Thank you!" A wave of shimmering light enveloped Kaya, signaling her return.

Page 10

Back in her treehouse bedroom, Kaya slammed shut the Encyclopedia and ran to find Sama. "Grandma! I know how AI was first programmed!
Back in her treehouse bedroom, Kaya slammed shut the Encyclopedia and ran to find Sama. "Grandma! I know how AI was first programmed! It was all about giving very specific instructions, and even knowing how to stop the computer when it makes mistakes!" She grabbed her smart-slate and began tapping away. "Now, I am going to program it to play our favorite song, the 'Anthem of Spring!'" Sama smiled, knowing Kaya's curiosity would lead her to many more amazing discoveries.

Back in her treehouse bedroom, Kaya slammed shut the Encyclopedia and ran to find Sama. "Grandma! I know how AI was first programmed! It was all about giving very specific instructions, and even knowing how to stop the computer when it makes mistakes!" She grabbed her smart-slate and began tapping away. "Now, I am going to program it to play our favorite song, the 'Anthem of Spring!'" Sama smiled, knowing Kaya's curiosity would lead her to many more amazing discoveries.

About this story

  • Location: Global
  • Audience: kids (ages 6–12)

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