Th hstry f rtfcl ntllgnc () bgn n ntqty, wth myths, strs, nd rmrs f rtfcl bngs ndwd wth ntllgnc r cnscsnss by mstr crftsmn. Th stdy f lgc nd frml rsnng frm ntqty t th prsnt ld drctly t th nvntn f th prgrmmbl dgtl cmptr n th 1940s, mchn bsd n bstrct mthmtcl rsnng. Ths dvc nd th ds bhnd t nsprd scntsts t bgn dscssng th pssblty f bldng n lctrnc brn.
Th fld f rsrch ws fndd t wrkshp hld n th cmps f Drtmth Cllg n 1956. ttnds f th wrkshp bcm th ldrs f rsrch fr dcds. Mny f thm prdctd tht mchns s ntllgnt s hmns wld xst wthn gnrtn. Th .S. gvrnmnt prvdd mllns f dllrs wth th hp f mkng ths vsn cm tr.
vntlly, t bcm bvs tht rsrchrs hd grssly ndrstmtd th dffclty f ths ft. n 1974, crtcsm frm Jms Lghthll nd prssr frm th .S. Cngrss ld th .S. nd Brtsh Gvrnmnts t stp fndng ndrctd rsrch nt rtfcl ntllgnc. Svn yrs ltr, vsnry nttv by th Jpns Gvrnmnt nd th sccss f xprt systms rnvgrtd nvstmnt n , nd by th lt 1980s, th ndstry hd grwn nt blln-dllr ntrprs. Hwvr, nvstrs' nthssm wnd n th 1990s, nd th fld ws crtczd n th prss nd vdd by ndstry ( prd knwn s n " wntr"). Nvrthlss, rsrch nd fndng cntnd t grw ndr thr nms.
n th rly 2000s, mchn lrnng ws ppld t wd rng f prblms n cdm nd ndstry. Th sccss ws d t th vlblty f pwrfl cmptr hrdwr, th cllctn f mmns dt sts, nd th pplctn f sld mthmtcl mthds. Sn ftr, dp lrnng prvd t b brkthrgh tchnlgy, clpsng ll thr mthds. Th trnsfrmr rchtctr dbtd n 2017 nd ws sd t prdc mprssv gnrtv pplctns, mngst thr s css. nvstmnt n bmd n th 2020s.