Final Answer:
AI research began in earnest in the mid-20th century, with notable advancements emerging in the 1950s and 1960s.
Step-by-step explanation:
AI research gained significant momentum in the mid-20th century, marking the formal inception of the field. The Dartmouth Conference in 1956, led by pioneers like John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky, is often considered the starting point. During this conference, the term "artificial intelligence" was coined, and researchers set ambitious goals for creating machines capable of human-like intelligence. The 1950s and 1960s witnessed groundbreaking work in symbolic AI, problem-solving, and early attempts at machine learning.
Key developments included the creation of programs like the Logic Theorist and the General Problem Solver. While progress faced challenges and periods of reduced funding (known as AI winters), ongoing research has since evolved into diverse subfields, including machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics.