From Lab to Laptop: The Journey of AI into Sales
One other question we asked AI was … How did you come into sales … Response was this timeline
Artificial Intelligence (AI) may feel like a modern marvel, but its roots stretch back nearly a century. The journey of AI—from theoretical curiosity to a trusted sales companion—is filled with fascinating breakthroughs, bold predictions, and unexpected turns.
Timeline of AI’s Evolution
1950s – The Spark
British mathematician Alan Turing posed a provocative question: “Can machines think?” His famous Turing Test laid the foundation for AI. In 1956, the term “Artificial Intelligence” was coined at a conference at Dartmouth College, marking the birth of the field.
1960s–70s – Early Experiments
AI research focused on solving puzzles and playing games. Programs like ELIZA, a chatbot that mimicked human conversation, amazed users—but it was all rule-based, with no real understanding.
1980s – Expert Systems Rise
Businesses began using AI to simulate decision-making. These “expert systems” helped diagnose diseases and manage inventory, but they were rigid and expensive.
1997 – A Game-Changer
IBM’s Deep Blue defeated chess champion Garry Kasparov, proving machines could outthink humans in specific domains.
2010s – The Deep Learning Revolution
With the rise of big data and cloud computing, AI systems became smarter. Tools like Siri, Alexa, and Google Translate entered daily life. AI was no longer just for labs—it was in our pockets.
AI Enters Sales
AI’s leap into sales began quietly. Early tools helped with lead scoring and email automation. Then came predictive analytics, chatbots, and CRM integrations. Sales teams started using AI to:
- Prioritize leads based on behaviour
- Personalize outreach at scale
- Forecast deal closures
- Simulate customer objections
Today, AI is a collaborator —helping salespeople prepare smarter, engage deeper, and close faster.
From Turing’s test to today’s sales dashboards, AI’s journey is a testament to human curiosity and innovation. And in sales, it’s just getting started
“A computer would deserve to be called intelligent if it could deceive a human into believing that it was human”
— Alan Turing
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