It is not widely known that the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence were envisaged by John von Neumann (1903-1957), a migrant genius settled in the U.S.A. He is credited with the making of the hydrogen bomb, followed by the first programmable digital computer (1952) called MANIAC (stands for Mathematical Analyzer Numerical Integrator and Computer).

   John von Neumann considered the computer more important than the bomb. He was also the first to point out genetic self-replication of the human cell before the discovery of DNA, which revealed the groundwork for artificial intelligence.

   Unlike the bomb, the computer has enriched life on the planet, though it has taken about four decades to yield benefits on a mass scale. Observers point out that AI too would take time to strike root and the growth will see many ups and downs. It is important to view them in the right perspective and not give in to hype or....