Learn from the Author of Rebels of Reason, Exploring the True History of AI
RoR Course: The Rebel Frame & the Illusion of Thinking April 22
Artificial Intelligence did not begin with Silicon Valley. It began with philosophers, mathematicians, and rebels who refused to accept that intelligence was mystical.
Inspired by Rebels of Reason: The Long Road from Aristotle to ChatGPT & AI’s Heroes Who Kept the Faith by John Willis with Derek Lewis, this 8-part live course explores how AI evolved, not as a hype cycle, but as a centuries-long intellectual revolution.
Over eight bi-weekly sessions, we explore how AI learned to:
- Count
- Formalize logic
- Compute
- Search
- Represent knowledge
- Learn from data
- Model uncertainty
- And ultimately generate language
This course mirrors the functional structure of the book, focusing on capabilities rather than strict chronology. This also means that no heavy math or technical prerequisites are required. It is just the ideas that changed the world, making it perfect for technologists, executives, students, and the AI-curious alike.
Session 1: The Rebel Frame & the Illusion of Thinking
Theme: What do we mean by “thinking machines”?
In our first session, we explore:
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Why AI history is a story of Rebels
The hidden contributors behind breakthroughs, "Who is John Galt?" as a metaphor for intellectual rebellion, and why AI history is really a story of dissent
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The "Elektro Effect" - Why AI demonstrations feel like magic
The psychology of demonstration, mechanical illusions vs. real capability, and what happens when the curtain is pulled back
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Why ChatGPT's 2022 release was a cultural turning point
Why November 2022 matters, why AlphaGo and Deep Blue did not create the same cultural shift, and access vs. capability
John Willis
Presenter
William Willis
Presenter