The origins of domestic artificial intelligence: on the 70th anniversary of the manifesto of Soviet cybernetics by Sobolev, Kitov, and Lyapunov

This publication is particularly relevant in the context of the 70th anniversary of a key document – the scientific article by S.L. Sobolev, A.I. Kitov, and A.A. Lyapunov (1955), rightly considered the origin of the domestic school of artificial intelligence. In an environment of increased attention to the history of science and technology, especially in the field of artificial intelligence, this work restores historical justice by emphasizing the priority of Soviet scientists in formulating the fundamental principles of artificial intelligence (machine self-learning, modeling of neural activity, heuristic methods, autonomy) long before these ideas gained wide recognition in the West. Understanding this "manifesto" is critically important not only for grasping the genesis and unique features of the Russian tradition in the conceptualization of artificial intelligence but also for recognizing the remarkable prophetic power of the ideas presented in 1955. The methodological basis of the study consists of principles of historical-scientific analysis, text hermeneutics, and conceptual reconstruction. The key method is a critical source analysis of the primary source – the article by Sobolev, Kitov, and Lyapunov from 1955. To define the historical context and scientific novelty of the manifesto, a comparative method is employed, contrasting its ideas with contemporary Western approaches in cybernetics. The novelty of the study lies in demonstrating for the first time how this article "Key Features of Cybernetics" (1955) anticipated the major development paths of global science in artificial intelligence for decades to come. In the era of neural network revolution and deep learning, revisiting these roots serves not only as a tribute to the pioneers but also as a powerful intellectual stimulus and guide for modern Russian research and development in the field of artificial intelligence. Understanding the depth and foresight of S.L. Sobolev, A.I. Kitov, and A.A. Lyapunov and their strategic vision is essential today for shaping a unique national agenda in the area of artificial intelligence. Furthermore, it is shown how these principles, which outpaced their Western counterparts (including the Dartmouth initiative) and were formulated in the terms of the Soviet cybernetic school, predetermined the specific trajectories of development for Soviet and Russian artificial intelligence.

artificial intelligence, robotics, cybernetics, informatics, computing technology, S.L. Sobolev, A.I. Kitov, A.A. Lyapunov, USSR, automation